How do you account for individual differences when managing a sales team? According to Ben Keller, SVP of sales at Intelity, you don’t necessarily have to choose between elevating individuals and group alignment.
Keller, as well as WhoWhatWear Sales Executive Elizabeth Bagdasarian, told us how they accommodate the individual and prioritize the team by building personal rapport and planning at scale. Oh, and leave the notion that being a killer sales rep is a prerequisite for management prowess at the door.
For more advice from Keller and Bagdasarian on elevating your sales management strategy, read on.
Ben Keller, Intelity’s SVP of sales, told us that he became a better manager when he stopped trying to see himself within his team. Keller said that assessing his team as individuals, as opposed to focusing solely on the loudest rep or the one who works the most hours, has helped him more accurately evaluate and motivate the group.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned as a sales manager, and how has this lesson made you a better manager?
There is no single profile for a good salesperson. Great salespeople come from different backgrounds, vary in work ethic and are a range of ages. The person who starts their day at 8 a.m. and works until 5 p.m. is often not the most successful. Sales takes creativity and the ability to think outside the box. This idea has made me a better manager because I’ve realized everyone isn’t like me. Some people like to start their weeks on Sunday and end on Thursday or work hard in the morning, take a break and work until late evening. Everyone is different.
Just because you’re great at sales doesn’t mean you’ll be a great sales manager.’’
What advice do you wish you would have heard before taking on your first sales manager role?
Just because you’re great at sales doesn’t mean you’ll be a great sales manager. Often, companies promote and hire great individual contributors. But being a manager is completely different. How do you take what you’ve learned and teach your sales team, who all likely come from different backgrounds, to sell at a high level? Being able to read each individual and motivate the team can be difficult, especially when they’re all Type A personalities trying to balance individual success with team and company goals.
Elizabeth Bagdasarian, VP of sales and client services at WhoWhatWear, has heard the word “no” more than a few times throughout her career. As a sales manager, she says that the most important thing you can do is learn to handle rejection and focus on creating relationships of substance.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned as a sales manager, and how has this lesson made you a better manager?
By far the hardest lessons I’ve learned are how to deal with rejection and how to hear the word “no.” Learn to not take those decisions personally, to successfully navigate those conversations and to create a rapport with the person across from you. This will ultimately produce lasting relationships.
Success isn’t just about the individual.’’
What advice do you wish you would have heard before taking on your first sales manager role?
As a manager, some of your most important clients are actually the members of your own team. Sellers sometimes don’t realize that success isn’t just about the client. It’s also about the people who choose to work with you on your team.
