As purse strings tighten and businesses are more wary of unnecessary spending, the sales manager’s job is more important than ever. With the added pressure of the ongoing economic turbulence, sales leaders need the right sales manager checklist to remain competitive in 2023.
But what are the best sales managers doing to supercharge their sales team and crush their targets despite reduced or eliminated budgets?
Here are four things on the sales manager checklist to lead successful sales teams in 2023.
1. Structure your day around the five key tasks.
Take an empty pickle jar, fill it with sand, add a few pebbles, and you’ll quickly run out of room for any rocks. But, if you put the rocks in first, then pebbles and then the sand, you’ll be surprised at how much that pickle jar can hold.
University lecturers and business coaches have used this analogy for decades, and it rings true for sales managers looking to make the most of every day with their sales team.
As a sales manager, these are your rocks—the most important things you can add to your sales manager checklist every day to fuel the success of your sales team:
- Train salespeople on new skills, techniques and software
- Coach everyone on your team through the good, the bad and the ugly during regularly scheduled meetings
- Supervise your team and set clear goals to keep great salespeople accountable
- Mentor your salespeople to help them overcome challenges and grow
2. Hold everyone to the same standards.
Building a strong sales team means not playing favourites. Whether it’s setting clear expectations for working hours or outlining weekly tasks, it’s important to create minimum standards of excellence.
That means if your rookies have to prospect every week, so should your top performers. Upholding these standards ensures that everyone on your team is treated fairly and given the same chance at success.
3. Roleplaying deserves a place on your sales manager checklist.
Practice doesn’t make perfect, but perfect practice does. What makes perfect practice? A safe space built on trust and transparency where your salespeople feel encouraged to get direct feedback.
With regularly scheduled skills development meetings, you can quickly help even your strongest salespeople reach new heights. Good sales managers build role play into their schedule. The best sales managers make sure they roleplay before critical meetings, not after.
4. Keep your team accountable with quarterly business reviews.
“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates.”
For sales managers, Pearson’s Law is a reminder to set and review milestones regularly rather than crossing your fingers hoping to hit your targets at the end of the year.
At Hire Me A Salesperson, we recommend holding 90-minute meetings every quarter to ensure your team is on track and to update your sales manager checklist when things go awry.
BONUS: Always troll for talent.
Every year, coaches show up to the draft with a plan. And, every year, the team with the best players has a shot at winning the series. The best sales managers do the same. As a sales manager, always keep an eye on talented salespeople. When it comes time to fill your ranks, having a sales draft board helps ensure you always have a strong team in the field.
Want to learn more about the sales manager checklist and the keys to success in 2023? At Hire Me A Salesperson, we have more than 30 years of experience leading and building strong and successful sales teams during economic turbulence. Contact us today to get started.