It was 1996, and to give our young audiences some perspective, it was the year that Japan launched the DVD, Atlanta held the summer Olympics, and the Number 1 song topping the Billboard 100 singles was Macarena.
I was an aspiring banker back then and my job was to persuade clients to hand over their hard-earned cash and place it in fancy investment vehicles.
We had weekly, monthly and quarterly sales quotas. I was used to having sales quotas. The joy of achieving them, the ecstasy of overachieving them and of course NOT achieving them.
However, this time it was going to be different. The new Head of Sales was a Sales Silverback — a fast-talking, fire-breathing, alpha-male high on caffeine, ego and too many hours watching clips from Glengary Glen Ross. Moreover, he wanted to make a point and make it fast.
It was one hell of a ride. I wouldn’t call it a rollercoaster because it would indicate that there were moments of going up, equal to going down but it was all downhill. Our He-Man had earlier committed to a huge sales target for the department without doing any number crunching or any scientific reasoning.
It wasn’t that we were bad salespeople or that we were slacking off but the cards were stacked against us. Having unrealistic sales targets, no apparent strategy, and above all no leadership, and so, the inevitable happened to most of us on Judgment Day. We were thrown under the bus by our so-called Leader.
Twenty-two years later and after numerous, technological inventions and breakthroughs, impacting the customer buying journey, redefining the sales processes and methodologies and highlighting the scientific nature of sales, we still have Silverbacks roaming the sales jungles.
Are There Leaders Behind all the Fancy Titles?
For many years, the sales industry has been blessed with many fancy and creative sales manager titles. Starting with the modest yet effective title of Team Leader, the classic Sales Manager, the flamboyant Director of Sales not to be confused with Head of Sales and the mother of all sales titles, the Vice President of Sales.
They all indicate that the person with the name preceding the title is in charge — managing, credible, accountable and leading. However, are they all delivering what their titles indicate and above all, are they leading their teams?
The Sales Leadership Way
As a sales manager, one should elevate his or her responsibilities to become a leader and not just a manager. He mentors and guides the team throughout the sales cycle. He should always be engaging with the team by providing constant feedback and not only when the sales quotas are not attained.
The effective leader provides situational guidance and tactical sales advice by helping his team members evaluate their sales funnel, in order to focus on the best opportunities and support them in turning those opportunities into deals.
For managers to become sales leaders (in addition to honing their technical skills) they must understand, adopt and practice the attributes that make great Sales Leaders.
So What Are The Attributes of An Effective Sales Leader?
1. Lead from the Front
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” -John C. Maxwell
For Sales Leaders to be effective, it is imperative that their team look up to them and regard them as a figure of authority, a point of reference when it comes to product and industry knowledge; as a result, the team will always want their help and tips on significant deals and important pitches.
They must rally a pack around them by inspiring the team through their passion and sales pitches. They should demonstrate leadership qualities by rolling their sleeves and doing whatever they expect their team to do.
2. Lead with Integrity
The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
Integrity is one of the fundamental values of a Sales Leader. It is the hallmark of a leader who demonstrates sound moral and ethical principles at work and in every situation. Integrity is the foundation upon which they build, trust and instill effective interpersonal relationships with their team.
3. Be Transparent
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” -Dalai Lama
Sales Leaders must be transparent about their objectives, goals, and priorities. They don’t keep hidden agendas. Sales Leader must highlight the facts. If the road ahead is rough, they will be upfront about the challenges and the consequences.
4. Lead with Passion
“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence, and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire teammates and customers.” -Robin S. Sharma
Sales Leaders must express and demonstrate their passion in everything they do and on daily basis. Passion for selling, for results, for their team and passion for their products that they are selling.
5. Be Accountable
“Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame.” -Courtney Lynch
They must hold themselves accountable to their superiors, their peers and staff. If they make a mistake, he should own it up and concentrate on fixing the problem rather than deflecting the blame.
6. Be Inspirational
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams
Sales Leaders must inspire their teams through words, actions, and demeanor. They should talk the talk and walk the walk. When employees aren’t managed but inspired, that’s when organizations see heightened performance. Inspired employees are far more productive and, inspire the rest of the team to reach for greater heights.
7. Be Charismatic
“The essential element in personal magnetism is a consuming sincerity–an overwhelming faith in the importance of the work that one has to do.” -Bruce Barton
Leading with charisma is very valuable in engaging and inspiring others towards the common goal. Charismatic leaders have a strong level of self-regard and pride in oneself and the job they do. They are firm but yet empathetic. They use their charisma to instill belief inside others to rally behind them and support them to reach the end goal.
8. Be Assertive (Not Aggressive)
“To be passive is to let others decide for you. To be aggressive is to decide for others. To be assertive is to decide for yourself. And to trust that there is enough, that you are enough.” -Edith Eva Eger
Sales Leaders knows how to maintain the balance between being friendly, approachable and being assertive. Sales teams like working in an environment that is less formal. However, being regarded as an effective leader should not be confused with being popular as there is still a degree of responsibility and professionalism that Sales Leaders must uphold.
In Conclusion
Sales have always been a mentorship-based profession, and a key distinguisher of great sales leaders is their attributes. It fuses to create an effective sales leadership style that builds a relationship with their teams fostering confidence, commitment, passion and keeping them focused on attaining quotas and not worrying about being thrown under the bus.
