What makes a great sales leader?  I have drilled down 5 aspects (of many!) that I believe are needed from a sales leader in order to have a solid team. 

The process is defined 

The sales process is built, fine-tuned, and audited by the leader.  The steps have to be there in order for the team to follow (link to why you need process).  The leader also needs to be constantly reviewing the process, emails, scripts for proper execution and needed improvement 

Set the pace 

The leader should be the one in the room with the energy!  Pumping up the team.  If you sit in your chair leaned back, half asleep talking about sales goals…no one will care! Because sure doesn’t look like you do.  

They also lead by example.  They do close big deals!  This gives the team life and shows that the leader is in it with them.  

They can measure success 

They know numbers!  They know their close rates.  How long it takes to close a deal.  Because the built a process that can be measured – and they use technology!   Data is important to analyze a sales rep’s performance.  

They hire the right people 

I have said many times that event managers do not make good salespeople, and vice versa. There are a few out there that have proven this can happen – but they are the minority (honestly, they should be running their own business).   When I hire a salesperson, I am looking for sales skills.  Personality, spunk, culture fit.   

They care about their staff 

A sales manager is just like any other manager – they manage people.   Having empathy, showing you care when they have a bad day.  Demonstrating that you understand current life situations and are not just focused on hitting that sales goal.