Sales management is the process of developing a sales force, coordinating sales operations and implementing sales techniques that allow a business to consistently hit, and even surpass, its sales targets. If your business brings in any revenue at all, a sales management strategy is an absolute must.
Sales gets a bad rap in our culture. Whether it’s the less-than-useless Gil Gunderson in The Simpsons, or Arthur Miller’s classic Death of a Salesman, the view on sales and sales reps is generally less than positive.
Still, every company needs people to sell their goods and services. So how do you manage sales in a way that leads to great revenues but avoids all the sleazy and stressed-out stereotypes?
Managers are often overwhelmed by unnecessary meetings and tasks that aren’t directly related to helping their team sell. More often than not, days are filled with tasks that do nothing to drive revenue, which should always be the primary concern.
The author spoke to one sales manager who explained how he once spent a day helping the maintenance crew set up a reception area for clients instead of getting his staff ready for the event.