Sales Manager vs. Sales Person
Let's revisit the concept of a dual role sales manager/sales person because I keep bumping into it. I touched on the topic a few years ago in this post (Good Salespeople Make Terrible Sales Managers). Today, I'm just giving you a grid to consider what you're asking for.
| Sales Pro Thinking | Sales Mgr Thinking | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Let me do my thing | I'm building a team |
| 2 | I'm not interested in the details, I want results | I need to know the details of my people's work |
| 3 | It's best if I'm liked | It's best if I'm respected |
| 4 | I try to avoid confrontation to get to results | I use confrontation as a tool for development |
| 5 | I make decisions based on what's in my own best interest | I make decisions based on what's best for the team |
| 6 | I do it myself, to get it done | I delegate, to build competence |
| 7 | I know what I need to do | I plan, in writing |
| 8 | I study my prospects, because they are my major accounts | I study my employees, because they are my major account |
| 9 | I want recognition and a bonus check as soon as possible | I want long term recognition and job satisfaction |
| 10 | Policies and procedures are interpreted for my own good | Policies and procedures are interpreted for good of the team |
One way of thinking isn't better than the other. They're just different.
So, how can you use this? Think of using it like this: design your job roles in a way your people can live with, in a way that fits. You're looking to get the maximum results from the minimum effort in the shortest time and matching responsibilities to desired behaviors is a big part of that.
Good stuff.
