The Insane Way We Identify and Hire Sales Managers
March 1, 2005

I heard a street definition of the word, "insanity." "Insanity" was defined as "doing the same things twice and expecting a different result." In looking at the things many companies do as they are identifying and hiring sales managers, it is apparent that insanity pervades the wholesale distribution channel.

When you consider the huge impact a sales manager can make on his company's sales and profit performance, it would seem obvious that the result companies seek in finding sales managers would be hiring those people who have the right characteristics for sales management success. However, I have seen countless companies continue to follow the same procedures and fall into the same traps in their sales management searches, resulting in improper choices who ultimately leave, voluntarily or otherwise, and often well before sales people and sales results have heaved heavily.

So, you might ask, why would intelligent owners and general managers who invest their human and financial capital in creating differentiated products and service offerings stop using their brains when it comes to finding and developing strong sales management? Here are some possible answers:

Many business owners and managers really don't understand what a successful sales manager profile would look like, particularly for their company

Further, those who don't have a good profile in mind are the ones who actually do the hiring, (even managers who have no selling or sales management experience)

Managers assume that promoting a sales representative who has posted strong sales numbers into the role of sales manager makes perfect sense

Owners or General Managers assume that selling a product or service is really a lot easier than dealing with the financial and operational side of the company, so they lower their standards and expectations when hiring sales managers

Managers are snowed into believing that a prospective hire who has excelled in her territory will change her previous tendencies to take control of projects and customers and "do it all herself," transforming instead into the role of "coach" and "mentor," patiently developing sales people and "getting results through others"

Once hired, the owner/manager lets the new sales manager "loose," without any clear education, training and mentoring process for the sales manager to utilize. This is probably because the owner/manager really doesn't understand what to educate and train his manager on, and because business needs demand the owner/manager's time, once the hire is complete its easier to assume that the sales manager can "get it" on her own

Bad signals about the sales manager's behaviors received from the company's suppliers, sales staff and other company employees, and even customers are ignored and rationalized because it "is too soon to judge and we shouldn't overreact"

I am sure that you can think of other actions that business owners and managers may take that lead to the undesired result of hiring and/or poorly managing the new sales manager. What are some possible solutions and actions that business owners and managers might consider to create the positive result of attracting and developing strong sales managers? Here are some ideas:

Make sure that there is a clearly written and concise job description, along with needed performance behaviors, for the prospective sales manager

Utilize an impartial "human resource" person to coordinate the sales manager search, who can remain objective and plug in the right company managers and employees into the search/interview process

Make sure that the highly successful sales person understands what he is getting into, and that many of the characteristics and behaviors of a successful sales person may be the exact opposite of the characteristics and behaviors need for him to be a highly successful sales manager

"Nothing happens until someone sells something." This statement betrays my bias toward the importance of the sales side of the business, however if you don't believe in the importance of a highly professional sales organization, you are likely to compromise your expectations when hiring your sales manager

Sales people who post strong numbers may not actually demonstrate the behaviors needed to be strong sales managers. Some reps are able to post great sales and profit numbers, yet are highly impatient and tend to solve problems on their own doing "whatever it takes." This attribute may generate sales, however the lack of patience and teamwork may make this person incapable of developing his sales team, or at least some individuals on her team

Have a plan in mind for acclimating the newly promoted sales manager. Develop your training and education plan around the sales manager's written performance behaviors and expectations, and address any experience gaps you identify and are willing to accept that are discovered during the sales manager's interview process. Pay particular attention to the sales manager's skill development in the area of "coaching," as her ability to coach each member of her sales team is critical to most sales organization's success

Ensure that the sales manager has a clear understanding of which person will be his "mentor," and the kinds of interaction that will occur on a scheduled as well as episodic basis. Do not hire a sales manager without having someone on your team who is willing to serve as a mentor

When something smells and looks bad, it is probably bad. Resist the temptation to ignore feedback, particularly bad feedback, received from key stakeholders about your sales manager. The rationale of "it's too early to tell," or, "he's only been here three months, it will work out," is totally bogus. In fact, I recommend soliciting feedback from your suppliers, and without stepping on the sales manager's toes, his sales people, in order to get a better sense of how the sales manager is impacting key personnel and supplier and customer stakeholders. Then, take immediate action to improve performance and behavioral gaps. If you made the wrong hiring decisions, cut your losses and find the right person

The above ideas and comments are not meant to be an indictment of the wholesale distribution industry. In fact, I hope that the hiring and management tendencies I described have never occurred within your company. However, in case they have, or even if they are symptomatic of problems in other companies you may know of, consider some of the "obvious" solutions I recommended.

If you are seeking positive results, then make sure the actions you take are going to generate the kind of results you can live with. In the area of sales management, especially for wholesale distribution companies who are reliant upon the sales organization to drive results in highly competitive businesses, make sure you are acting "sanely" as you identify and manage your sales manager. After all, he can make or break the team, and even the company.

Jeffrey Grover, President of the Grover Group LLC, works with companies in defining and implementing successful sales management models and practices to effectively compete and excel in their specific industry. Contact Jeffrey Grover at the Grover Group, (440)2473330, or email him at j.grover@grovergroupllc.com.