As a sales leader, not only are you responsible for the sales of your company but you are also responsible for effectively managing your sales team. Knowing the numbers are important, but leading the people behind the numbers is just as important. If you do not know how to lead your sales team, your numbers will not increase the way you want them to. Here are 4 qualities that every great sales leader needs to have to be successful.
1. Confidence
For your sales team to succeed, you’re going to have to ooze confidence. If you are not confident in your skills and decisions, then your sales team won’t be confident in them either. When your sales team lacks confidence in you, you will have a difficult time getting their respect and leading them. When you display confidence, it will be easier for your sales team to trust you. Everybody wants to work for a leader they can trust.
2. Empathy
A great sales leader should be able to understand and share the feelings of their customers and sales team. Connecting with your sales team on an emotional level will build a relationship and allow them to be more open with you. Understanding your team will make it easier to guide them and give them what they need to succeed.
3. Consistency
There are several areas that you need to be consistent in as a leader. First of all, you need to be consistent with your company’s vision and core values. Your vision and core values should be the foundation of your company. Secondly, you need to be consistent with your mood and attitude. Nobody wants to work for a person that is calm one minute and flips their lid the next minute. Finally, you need to be consistent with a high work ethic. Having a consistently high work ethic will display your passion for your work, which will then be modeled by your sales team.
4. Coaching Ability
You might know the best sales techniques that produce results for your company, but does your team know them? To be a great sales leader, you need to have the ability to teach your sales team these techniques. You need to be able to coach them through the sales process without doing the sale for them.
These qualities will help you lead your sales team more efficiently. With a strong sales team, you’ll be able to achieve your company’s sales goals. Focus on one quality a week, for the next four weeks, and you’ll notice yourself growing stronger as a sales leader.
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Jeff Ruby
Founder of RedRock Leadership