Sales Management Training
So it is with Sales Management. If you’re a Sales Manager, do you get out of your office to see what’s going on with your sales team?
Successful sales organisations utilise the combined ability of their people to sell and service, and at the heart of great sales teams is a sales coach who can unlock their potential.
Have you ever been to a restaurant where the service has been shoddy to the point of being unacceptable?
I have, I’m sure you all have too! At times like these I think “If I can see these terrible behaviours, why can’t their manager see them?” The answer is that undoubtedly they’re not looking! In one instance I asked to see the manager and it turned out it was the manager giving the lousy service! What hope does this business have?
In the first Dirty Harry movie, Harry (Clint Eastwood) was called into his boss’s office, in trouble for not following procedure or whatever. The boss criticised him heavily and Harry responded with “I never put much credence into things said by people whose ass is the same shape as their chair.”
"I met Brendan when I started a new role at the company where I am now and he hugely helped me understand my new path on how to take care and lead the team I am working on from all points of view.
Then, at the company we started a new activity, The Leadership Academy lead by Brendan, which for me was an incredible journey where I learned a lot about how to work effectively with the team and how important is to establish great relationships with to achieve success. This actually was the step the most important for me, as I really believe the basis of a team is actually a strong relationship between teammates.
Brendan is great to work with, he has great experience in working with people and teams and we established a great connection from the first session."
Mihaela Rosu,
Product Manager, SmrtPhone Global Inc
Client since 2021
“Congratulations on your award Brendan. So deserved. We wouldn’t be the company we are today if not for you. From humble beginnings to £9M turnover. I’m glad our paths crossed all those years ago!”
Louise Birnie,
Director of External Affairs,
Change Waste Recycling
Client since 2010
"Brendan has delivered both leadership training and outbound sales skills training for the teams at Appin. For the leadership team, it has helped us improve our decision-making and communication. The management system we agreed on through the training, is now the backbone of how the management team operates. We are now working more collaboratively, with greater accountability and a more positive mindset.
Brendan’s sales-skills training has made the outbound team more structured in their approach. His practical, real-world approach makes it easy to implement strategies that really work. If you’re looking to boost both leadership, teamwork and sales, I highly recommend Brendan."
Damien O’Looney
Managing Director,
Appin Sports
Client since 2018
“We’ve been working with Brendan for over 15 years and cannot recommend him highly enough for helping develop and implement strategies to improve sales growth. Initially working closely with me as a “mentor” and then subsequently with various team leaders to help navigate through the busy and quieter periods ensuring that relevant and adequate activity is completed to effect positive business growth. Brendan has always taken time to understand both our business and pressure points so that all training is tailor-made to match our specific needs. We continue to use Brendan for projects and strategies and have no doubt that we will continue to do so for many more years to come.”
Peter Smits
Managing Director
Ashbourne Insurance Services
Client since 2008
Let’s look a sporting example. Is Sir Alex Feguson the greatest ever Premier League football manager? He won 13 Premier League titles, so we think yes he must be!
Let’s imagine that instead of retiring a few years ago, Sir Alex decided that he loved the job too much to give it up. He further decided that in place of retiring he would continue to do the job, but he would change the way he did it. Their home ground was cold on match days and nights and the away grounds involved a lot of exhausting travel. As he was getting older he felt he would be much better staying home in front of the fire!
So he decided he’d change the way he did his job. He decided he’d coach the team based on the stats from the game – kilometres run by each player, tackles made, shots at goal, shots saved and so on.
If we were a Manchester United fan, we’d probably think that Sir Alex had lost it and that we should probably find him a job elsewhere in the club. On the basis you can’t sack a legend! (Thanks to my elder brother I carry the lifelong burden of being a Spurs fan. We can only dream about what it would be like for 1 manager to win 13 titles for us!)
In business, and as Sales Managers, this is exactly how we manage! We look at reports on our desk and issue instructions accordingly.
Sales Management should be much more than this, it’s about observing ‘the game where it’s being played’ to continue the football analogy. It’s about developing and coaching your salespeople and challenging them to do better. You’ll notice our section on coaching is titled ‘Measure, Observe and Coach’ and each of these 3 aspects are of equal importance.
Most people in general, and salespeople in particular, want responsibility in their jobs. But with responsibility has to come accountability, otherwise you’re crossing your fingers that they’ll perform. Sales Management is about holding people accountable for their activity. It’s not light touch management where we let them do their own thing, but it’s not about micromanaging or being a tyrant either.
Effective Sales Management is about motivating, developing, educating, giving your people responsibility, holding them accountable and allowing them to learn by making their own mistakes.
Sales Management is also about following set practices and routines on a disciplined basis, without fail and in an enthusiastic manner.
Sales management training is a program designed to equip sales managers and salespeople with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively lead sales teams, set realistic targets, and improve overall sales performance.
Developing your sales managers is crucial because it helps sales leaders develop the necessary skills to motivate their teams, implement effective sales strategies, and ultimately drive revenue growth.
Effective sales management includes setting clear sales goals, providing ongoing training and support, monitoring performance, and fostering a positive team culture.
A sales consultant provides expert advice and strategies to businesses to improve their sales processes, enhance team performance, and achieve sales targets.
Sales and management consulting can provide tailored strategies and insights that help businesses optimise their sales processes, improve team dynamics, and increase overall sales effectiveness.
