Sarina Wiegman is an outstanding sales manager!

There are traits and qualities that are essential for building successful teams. Take the Dutch women’s national soccer team, for example. All the players are incredibly talented, but Sarina Wiegman has turned all that talent into a close-knit, top-tier team.

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It’s no different with sales teams; top-performing sales teams are led by top sales managers. But what exactly makes a good sales manager an exceptional one? We asked our clients.

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These 8 characteristics can determine whether a sales team will succeed or fail. Do you have them?

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Experienced

A manager is battle-hardened and experienced, which is why they are followed and looked up to. This role is earned on a sales team; one cannot simply hold the position without working their way up, learning from past experiences, and then applying those lessons to the rest of their team. You’ll rarely, if ever, see an NFL head coach who hasn’t worked their way up from a college coaching or coordinator position. The same experience is necessary in sales; it’s what allows teams and organizations to trust their leaders.

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Leads by example

Respect and trust are easy words to say, but much harder to earn. Great leaders practice what they preach; they inspire those who matter to them and to whom they matter by setting an example. A great manager will devote as much of themselves as possible to helping their employees succeed, rather than just making themselves look good. A great leader is willing to sacrifice their time and effort to help their sales team members, ensuring they have every tool they need to succeed.

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Able to coach

A successful manager must focus on building on the strengths of their team members and helping them improve their weaknesses. To borrow another example from the world of soccer: Lieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema are the best players at their respective clubs. Both have strong personalities. Sarina Wiegman, their coach on the national team, cannot rely on the same approach to work with both players. Much like coaching a successful national soccer team, great sales managers serve as mentors and advisors to their teams and are able to develop their talents and abilities.

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Strategic

To be great, it takes more than a consistent sales team that routinely meets its quota. A sales manager who is strategically minded and continually finds ways to take their company to new heights achieves greatness. There is no better feeling than growing your business and expanding your quota and team into realms that were previously unheard of. In practice, this involves optimized automation, sales tools, and procedures. Continuously enhancing your technology and tools with a detailed sales management process is the key to growth. Along with this, incorporating new metrics and incentive systems to reward high-performing reps is another way a great manager will expand their team’s quota.

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Have integrity

Say what you mean and do what you say. There is no better way to earn respect than through character and making the right choices. How a manager acts and carries himself or herself often reflects on the rest of the team. More often than not, sales reps will act and perform in the same way as their manager. Great managers realize that they are constantly being evaluated and looked to for guidance, and do not take advantage of their leadership position. They perform to the best of their ability every day and expect the same from their reps.

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Confident

If a company is experiencing a major downturn or a slow quarter, employees look to managers for answers. A great sales manager will assess the situation, remain calm and confident, and set the example their sales team needs. When a sales manager shows panic or distress, that attitude immediately rubs off on their sales reps. Remaining calm, cool, and collected during these times will not only reduce tension in the workplace but also inspire others to act accordingly.

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Innovative

It is important for a sales team manager to always think about how to get the best out of their teams—not just collectively, but individually as well. If something isn’t working in the sales process, a great manager can’t rely on others to solve the problem but must find ways to achieve success on their own. Anticipating and solving these problems before they arise is key to success. There isn’t a quarterback in the NFL whose weaknesses haven’t been exploited at one point or another. But the ones who win are those who work on turning those weaknesses into strengths during the offseason. Great sales managers should do the same by constantly assessing their team objectively and looking for better ways to sell.

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Motivating

A sales manager should not only be approachable and have the answers to guide team members on the right path, but must also motivate them to take that right path. This is achieved by emphasizing hard work, helping to develop the skills necessary for success, and providing feedback. In practice, this can be as simple as sending an email to your team and encouraging them to give even more. A great manager realizes that encouragement goes a long way and isn’t afraid to constantly push the rest of his or her team to strive for excellence as well.

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While every manager has their own unique personality and approach to driving the success of their sales team, these 8 characteristics are essential for any great manager and should always be kept in mind.

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