Sales managers are an interesting breed, effective sales managers are a rare breed. Managing a sales team is entirely different than managing other groups; their role requires them to have not only above average management skills, but also above average ability to manage the overall sales process. However, in many organizations, the weak link in the sales chain is the front line management.
Yet when most organizations look to fill openings in sales management, they generally look within, that is promoting someone that is already selling for the organization in question. Further it is usually someone from the region where the opening exists. And who do they go to, usually to one of their top performers (assuming that the individual is willing to take the position, and most are).
The logic seems to be: Jane has done consistently well, achieved quota for the last four or five years; she is personable, gets along with the clients and everyone else in the office, it's a great fit. Completely forgetting (or ignoring) the key and desirable attributes of a sales Manager, you know the ones they drew up with HR and an outside facilitator at an "off-site" last year, the one that would bring about a change in the way they will hire managers moving forward.
Remember attributes and dimensions like: Leadership Communication Influence Relational Creativity Interpersonal Skill Strategic Thinking Forecasting Recruiting Prowess Conflict Resolution Proactive Planning goal Setting Coaching (Their whole team, A, B and C players) Ability to conduct meaningful meetings "All good things, but I need to hit my numbers, and I can't waste time, Jane is good, and I can work with her" Says the sales Director. (Cause he just doesn't have anything else to do.).
Many feel that bringing someone from the outside "may disrupt the culture" and the pay off may be too long. Jane has the product knowledge, familiarity with the staff and other departments, and of course, the "corporate culture". So for a number of intuitive reasons they short list internal candidates, and usually go with one "they all like". For entirely the wrong reason, external candidates are often overlooked.
And that's how we end up with management by Osmosis.
It manifests itself in two ways, first in the way managers are transitioned from the being sales reps to managers. Second, is in the desired effect on their staff.
Once Jane steps in to her new role, and is brought up to speed by the Director or VP of sales, she is whisked off to the company's Management Training Program, where she meets her peers from other departments, various HR personnel, VP of marketing, during her three days of exhaustive training about: Proper Interviewing Skills/Equal Opportunity - 2 hours Harassment Policies - half day Performance management - 2 hours Process and Benefits of 360's - 2 hours SMART - 2 hours motivation - 2 hours Multicultural Sensitivity - 1 hour Mission Statement Analysis - 1 hour Protocols and Process (of all sorts) - half day Some team building exercises to close, a certificate, and a cocktail. All good things, but not much specifically aimed at sales management; little focus on the list of attributes and dimensions. In some cases there are some programs aimed at developing these skills, usually left to the discretion of the senior executives in sales. In most cases, it was felt that Jane would learn the skills from the same senior executives: hence, by
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