Chapter 14 Chapter 13 The Leadership Art of Sales Managers

Modern professional sales managers are no longer just orders, supervision, rewards and punishments like previous sales managers, but turn to planning, communication, motivation and training.The team leadership ability of the sales manager is mainly reflected in the development of the following aspects: In the management of the sales team, the sales manager should open communication channels, use various communication skills to establish consensus with all levels, adopt different communication methods, and increase communication. flexibility; to master the effective skills of motivation, authorization, training and performance to help achieve the success of the team; to master the resolution of team conflicts.

In short, the sales manager should continue to give impetus to the entire team, not only to increase the sales motivation of the members, but also to actively guide and optimize the sales motivation of the sales staff to promote their sales interest and enthusiasm. In today's enterprises, mediocre sales managers abound, while excellent sales managers are as rare as rare.As the leader of the sales team, the sales manager must have the five qualities of wisdom, prestige, benevolence, bravery, and strictness.Therefore, in order to become an excellent sales manager, he also needs to practice the five professional qualities of wisdom, faith, benevolence, courage, and strictness, so that he can become an excellent leader and the team he leads Finally, from ordinary to extraordinary.

Wisdom means to have wisdom.For sales managers who lead the sales force and gallop in the first-line market, wisdom mainly includes two meanings: One is to have knowledge.The knowledge here includes two categories: professional knowledge and compound knowledge.Professional knowledge refers to the sales manager's understanding and cognition of the industry in which he is engaged.If you are a sales manager in the field of consumer goods, you must be familiar with the macro and micro aspects of the industry.If it is the sales management of industrial products, it is also necessary to understand the relevant knowledge of industrial products.For example, on the macro level, it is necessary to understand the market status, market size, and development trend of the industry; on the micro level, it is necessary to master the basic principles and methods of marketing, and learn to use the SWOT method to analyze the advantages of the company, team or products it operates , disadvantages, opportunities, problems, and scientifically and objectively formulate corresponding strategies and solutions.Compound knowledge refers to a kind of comprehensive and systematic knowledge that is not directly related to sales itself other than professional knowledge.For sales managers, compound knowledge mainly refers to the ability to develop (or learn), exchange, copy and manage. These four kinds of knowledge are the abilities that sales managers working in any enterprise need.For example, a sales manager develops a new market operation method (such as in-depth distribution), implements it through exchange (information exchange and concept communication with sales personnel and company decision-making levels), and then successfully replicates this method. In the process of application Through effective management (personnel) in the sales team to generate greater performance.Since each industry requires different knowledge, if you want to become an excellent sales manager, you must understand what knowledge is needed in the industry you are engaged in, and then constantly enrich it to become an expert in that industry.

The second is to have judgment, go deep into the details, and get to the bottom of it.This is a very important quality to be a great sales manager.In work, we often encounter such a phenomenon: some sales managers are indeed very knowledgeable, but they are not objective, comprehensive, and inaccurate when they encounter judgments.Why no judgment?Just didn't get into the details.Judgment is not a matter of courage or cleverness, but whether you have gone into details and got to the bottom of it.To become an excellent sales manager, you must develop the habit of analyzing deeply and tracing the source of whatever you encounter, so as to develop a keen judgment.Therefore, by cultivating sufficient wisdom and the ability to make judgments, the sales manager has completed the first practice toward excellence—the practice of wisdom.

The letter mainly includes two meanings: First, as a sales manager, you must keep your word.Keeping promises means keeping promises, and once a promise is made, it is a big deal.PepsiCo pays special attention to this point. In business training, it will repeatedly emphasize: "Don't promise your customers easily, as long as you promise your customers, you must do it."To be an excellent sales manager, you must have the quality of keeping promises - because what you promise is a big thing. The second is to convince subordinates.That is to empathize with empathy.The sales manager has a high status and great power in the sales team, so it will be smoother in handling things.Some sales managers often feel that their subordinates can’t do a lot of things well because of this, but he didn’t expect that this is because the people under him don’t have as many resources as him, and the phone calls are not as effective as him, so things are naturally not done properly.Therefore, if you, as a sales manager, can't get along with your subordinates and empathize with them, but always blame your subordinates, it will be difficult to convince people.

Therefore, an excellent sales manager must keep his word and convince his subordinates. Everyone needs the care of others, especially the sales force who are fighting fiercely on the battlefield under high intensity and high pressure, and they are eager to get the sympathy of the supervisor.And whether a sales manager is kind depends on whether he cares about his subordinates. As a sales manager, how do you care about your subordinates?One is concern for work, and the other is concern for life.For example, when sales representatives encounter certain difficulties at work, the sales manager should find out the reasons with them and spare no effort to help them solve the problems; when the employees celebrate their birthdays, the sales manager should not forget to send a gift to express congratulations; Send a text message from time to time, make a phone call to greet the employees; if the family members of the employees have any difficulties, give them selfless help as much as possible within the scope of their ability... The real meaning of the sales manager's cultivation of benevolence is to be in harmony with the employees. A real understanding between them: to understand what they want?Are their needs being met?How can these needs be met?Sales managers have to think about these questions. If they want to get a complete answer, they must understand and care about their employees.

Some senior sales managers at the manager and director level tend to give employees a sense of aloofness, often do not communicate with grassroots sales staff, and even fail to call some sales representatives by their names.Just imagine, if the manager can't even call out the names of the employees, or don't know which position they are responsible for, how can anyone work for him? Yong mainly includes two meanings: One is to lead by example.In modern sales management, even in the day-to-day operations of the business, executives must take the lead.As a sales manager, if there is no way to take the lead, how can the people under him go all out?Therefore, when you encounter a difficult problem, you must rush forward, and when you encounter a strong competitor, you must rush to the front.

The second is to have the courage to take responsibility.An excellent sales manager must be a person who takes the lead and is responsible to the end, instead of pushing all the faults to others when something goes wrong.Only by bravely taking responsibility for success or failure, can the sales manager truly become the "head" of the entire sales team, gaining the trust of team members through his own personal charm, so that "power" is the art of leadership. Strict mainly includes two meanings: One is to distinguish rewards and punishments for people.The sales manager should make it clear to the employees: under what circumstances they will be rewarded and under what circumstances they will be punished.Then, resolutely do a good job in evaluation and implementation.For example, the employee with the first monthly sales performance will be rewarded, and the employee with the worst sales for three consecutive months will be punished.Rewards not only have the effect of affirming the contribution of subordinates, but also can play a role in stabilizing the entire sales team if used properly.Conversely, the punishment for dereliction of duty subordinates is also very important.In modern enterprise management, punishment is sometimes far more difficult than reward, especially it is very difficult for sales managers to impose severe punishment on people they value or rare talents.Therefore, sales managers should pay attention to their work: if there are rewards, there must be punishments. Rewards and punishments must be clearly defined, and incentives and constraints must coexist. Only in this way can the morale of the sales team be improved and the expected goals be achieved.

The second is to be consistent with things, and develop the habit of being consistent with things.Strictness does not mean treating others harshly, or calling subordinates to yell at them all day long, but to implement and carry out well what has been decided.To know what is right is to achieve that goal.For example, if you do something wrong, you must adjust the direction or method of work in time, and you must not delay the process of the matter at all, and this should be the most basic attitude of a sales manager. To sum up, only by strengthening the cultivation of the five professional qualities of wisdom, faith, benevolence, courage, and strictness can sales managers embark on the road from ordinary to outstanding in the workplace.

Communication is the process of information transmission and feedback, and is an essential skill for sales managers. It can be said that without communication, there will be no sales; without communication, there will be no sales management.In fact, a sales manager needs to do a lot of communication work (including internal communication and external communication) every day, because the communication between him and his superiors, subordinates, customers, and the public is almost everywhere and all the time. Internal communication is one of the important ways for enterprises to improve efficiency and share information resources.Through communication, the internal personnel of the enterprise can reach an agreement on cooperation and coordination, so that resource allocation can be adjusted as soon as possible and work efficiency can be improved.Sales is one of the most important functions of an enterprise. In a sense, selling products is not just the job of salespersons. All personnel in the company should participate in the sales work.Therefore, the sales work of an enterprise is also inseparable from the coordination among various departments. Without the coordination of other departments, no matter how good a salesperson is, it is impossible to establish a long-term relationship with customers, and no matter how good a sales manager is, it is impossible to achieve performance goals. .

The above-mentioned job characteristics put forward high requirements on the communication ability of the sales manager. In fact, only with excellent internal communication skills can the sales manager be competent for the management work of this position, and it is possible to integrate the resources of the company to achieve success. established goals. In order to ensure the smooth realization of the established goals, the sales manager must try to obtain good cooperation from various departments and personnel.Here are three basic communication principles: Accurate, Gradual and Timely. 1. Accurate principle Accuracy is the basic principle and requirement. In communication, communication is effective only when the language and method used can be understood by the other party.This may seem simple, but it may not be easy to do.In actual work, since the receiver may not fully understand the sender's information, the sender should synthesize the information and try to express it in an easy-to-understand way, which requires the sender to have a high level of language expression ability and be familiar with subordinates. , the language used by peers and superiors, so that various obstacles in the communication process can be overcome. 2. Step by step principle When carrying out vertical communication (including downward communication and upward communication), the principle of "level by level" should be followed as much as possible. When communicating downwards, since there are often supervisors (such as the regional supervisor in charge of one market) under the sales manager, and ordinary staff (such as business representatives) under the supervisor, the sales manager should try to make the supervisors at the center of information exchange, as far as possible Encourage them to play a central role.But in actual work, the sales manager may ignore this point, and he will bypass the subordinate supervisors and directly issue orders to the front-line personnel, which may cause many adverse consequences.If it is really necessary to do so, the sales manager should also communicate with the subordinate supervisors in advance, and only in extreme cases (such as urgent mobilization to complete a certain work) can leapfrog communication.When communicating upwards, in principle, the "level-by-level" principle should also be followed (sales managers generally report directly to the marketing director or sales director), and only in special cases (such as suggestions, emergencies, etc.) can leapfrog Report. 3. Timely principle Information is only valuable if it is fed back in a timely manner.When communicating, whether it is conveying information downward, providing information upward, or communicating information with horizontal departments, the sales manager should follow the principle of timeliness.Following this principle can make you easy to get the understanding and support of all parties, and at the same time, you can quickly understand the thoughts and attitudes of your colleagues.In actual work, the communication effect is greatly reduced due to reasons such as untimely transmission of information or insufficient attention of the recipient. There are two types of internal communication: formal communication and informal communication.Formal communication is generally carried out through the organizational structure or hierarchical system of the enterprise (many enterprises have developed specialized information systems); informal communication is generally carried out through means other than the formal system (such as informal organizations within the enterprise). 1. Formal communication Formal communication means that the sales manager transmits information and communicates within the organization according to the organization's regulations. The means and forms include official letters, documents, meetings, etc.Formal communication is generally divided into three forms: downward communication, upward communication, and horizontal communication: downward communication is the most important communication flow in traditional organizations, and information such as policies, plans, and regulations is generally conveyed in the form of orders; upward communication Communication means that subordinates report their work to their superiors according to regulations (suggestion boxes, suggestions, symposiums, etc. also belong to upward communication); horizontal communication mainly refers to communication with different departments at the same level. Formal communication has stronger binding force, better effect and is easy to keep secret. Usually, important news, documents, decisions, etc. are communicated in this way.However, it also has disadvantages. Because it needs to rely on the enterprise's system to pass it layer by layer, it is very rigid, the communication speed is slow, and there is a possibility of distortion. 2. Informal communication Informal communication is different from formal communication. Its communication objects, communication time and communication content are generally unplanned and difficult to identify. Its communication is mainly carried out by means of various social relationships within the organization (this relationship often exceeds departments, units and levels). However, excessive reliance on informal communication is also risky, because this communication method has a high possibility of distorted or wrong information, and it is impossible to verify, especially on issues that are closely related to employees' personal interests (such as promotion, treatment, etc.) etc.) are often prone to "rumors" (the dissemination of such false information may cause greater distress to the organization).However, there are more or less such informal communication channels in any organization. For this communication method, sales managers can neither completely rely on it to obtain information nor completely ignore it, but should pay close attention to errors or false information. cause, and seek to correct or provide factual information. There are many ways to communicate within an enterprise, the following are three commonly used methods. 1. Issue (or accept) instructions "Instruction" is a communication method commonly used by sales managers or superiors when instructing subordinates to work or accepting orders from superiors. It is similar to instructions and is mandatory. It requires subordinates to perform a certain task or stop a certain work under certain circumstances. .The manner or nature of the indication may vary: (1) General VS specific.Instructions from superiors to subordinates can be specific or general.Whether the instruction is general or specific depends mainly on the foresight of the superior to the surrounding environment and the responsiveness of the subordinate.A superior with a strict view of delegation tends to give specific instructions, and mostly gives general instructions without foreseeing all the surrounding circumstances in which the "direction" will be implemented. (2) Written VS Oral.A superior may issue instructions to a subordinate in written form or in oral form.Which form to use depends on factors such as the reliability and trust of the relationship between the superior and the subordinate.If the relationship with subordinates is strong and trustworthy, written instructions do not have to be used; if in order to prevent repetition of instructions and avoid disputes, or to announce a specific task to all relevant personnel, instructions should be issued in written form. (3) Formal VS informal.When superiors issue instructions to subordinates, they can be formal or informal.Which method to choose is also an art. Generally speaking, informal methods are used to inspire subordinates, and formal written or oral methods are used to order and direct subordinates. 2. Hold or attend meetings The process of communication is also the process of exchanging ideas and emotions, and the conference provides opportunities and platforms for realizing such exchanges.Meetings are one of the daily activities of enterprises, and the operations and major decisions of enterprises cannot be separated from the form of meetings.Through meetings, brainstorming is possible, and participants can reach a consensus through communication and close relationships with each other; it can make everyone understand the common goal and the working relationship between each other, so that they can better determine their own goals and working methods; Through meetings, unnoticed problems can be discovered and seriously considered and studied. Meetings include work report meetings, symposiums, and staff symposiums.Although meetings are an important method for managers to communicate, they must never be relied upon entirely, and sufficient preparation must be made before holding or attending a meeting so as not to become a mere formality. A sales meeting is a meeting of sales personnel (including sales managers, regional supervisors, and business representatives), also known as a business meeting, and is an important activity in the sales work of an enterprise.Through sales meetings, sales managers can assign sales tasks, control sales progress, discover existing problems in a timely manner and provide suggestions or assistance, and obtain and feedback market information in a timely manner...Sales meetings can be held regardless of form or number of people. Anywhere held in various ways.What needs to be reminded is that it is very important to clarify the purpose of the meeting. The mistake that sales managers often make when they hold meetings is that they fail to clarify the purpose, and sometimes even they themselves do not know the purpose of the meeting. 3. Individual conversation Most of these forms are based on mutual trust. Using this method to communicate can easily make both parties feel friendly, which is good for both parties to unify their understanding and understand their respective responsibilities and obligations.Under such circumstances, both parties are often willing to reveal their true thoughts and ask questions that are inconvenient to ask on other occasions (such as meetings), so that the superior can accurately grasp the ideological dynamics of the subordinates and strive to reach consensus in terms of understanding and opinions. . The common barriers that sales managers face in communication can be summed up in two categories: subjective barriers and objective barriers. 1. Subjective barriers There are differences in the personality, temperament, attitude, emotion, opinion, etc. of the sales manager himself or his superiors and subordinates, which will make the information be restricted by personal subjective psychological factors in the communication process. In the communication process, if the gap between the two parties is too large in terms of experience level and knowledge structure, communication barriers will arise. Information and communication are often layered and transmitted level by level according to the organizational structure of the enterprise, but information is often missed or distorted due to the influence of personal memory and thinking ability during the transmission process, and communication efficiency will also be reduced. Everyone may have a different attitude towards information. Some people ignore information that is not important to them, and do not care about organizational goals, decision-making and other information. They only value and care about information that is closely related to their own interests, which hinders communication. There is a lack of trust between superiors and subordinates, and this mutual distrust will affect the normal progress of communication. The fear of subordinates can also form an obstacle to communication. 2. Objective obstacles If the communicating parties are too far apart in space, there may be few opportunities for contact, which may also cause communication barriers. Differences in social and cultural backgrounds, racial differences and other differences will also affect communication work. When the enterprise organization is too large and there are too many intermediate levels, the information is easily distorted and time-consuming from the highest decision-making level to the lower grassroots units, which affects the timeliness of information. This is an obstacle caused by the organizational structure of the enterprise. The above-mentioned communication barriers generally exist more or less, and the sales manager should try to eliminate these barriers so as to create conditions for effective communication. Vertical communication refers to the communication between the superior and the subordinate, such as the communication between the sales manager and the regional supervisor, the communication between the marketing director and the sales manager, the communication between the regional supervisor and the business representative, etc. 1. Points to note in vertical communication (1) Subordinates should obey their superiors.Without obedience, there is no governance.Generally speaking, subordinates have no right to judge the superior's right or wrong, and the superior's right or wrong is determined by the superior's superior (for a sales manager, his direct superior is usually the marketing director or sales director). (2) There is only one direct superior.Each position and each person has only one direct superior, and only obeys the command of one direct superior, and only reports to this superior. This is a universal and eternally necessary criterion.If this norm is violated, power and discipline will be violated, order will be disturbed, and stability will be threatened. Each leadership position on the management tree has only one top person in charge. The power stipulated by the position can only be given to this person, and the responsibility must also be borne by this person. This person is the head of the position. Generally speaking, the usual form of management tree is "Vice President of Marketing-Sales Manager-Regional Supervisor-Business Representative". Each position on the management tree represents a principal. Under the principal, a deputy can be set up. The deputy and the principal are in the same position. Although the deputy can have part of the command power after being authorized, the leadership responsibility of the department is still assumed by the principal. . (3) Communication should be level by level.In principle, superiors can leapfrog inspections to subordinates, but cannot leapfrog command; subordinates can leapfrog appeals to superiors, but cannot leapfrog reports.That is to say, the vice president of marketing can check the work of the regional supervisors and business representatives in person or by other means, but after he discovers a problem, he generally cannot command the regional supervisors or sales representatives, but can only issue instructions through the sales manager (unless there is a problem) Only in emergencies or other special circumstances can leapfrog command). 2. Sales Manager VS Marketing Vice President (or Sales Vice President) The sales manager should humbly accept the guidance and advice of the vice president of marketing (or vice president of sales), because the guidance, advice (or even criticism) of the direct superior will help him improve his work.In actual work, the principle of "obedience" must be followed, even if the decision of the vice president of marketing is wrong. The vice president of marketing must also follow the communication principle of "step by step". Even if he finds a problem in the sales work, he should give the correct instructions to the sales manager, and then the sales manager (through the regional supervisor if necessary) will carry out his instructions. Instructions should not be directly directed to the sales manager's subordinates. 3. Sales Manager VS Regional Director In principle, the sales manager should allow each regional supervisor to decide on local candidates and tactics. The job of the regional supervisor is to contact customers, sell products, and complete sales and payment collection goals in the region under the order of the sales manager.After a regional supervisor has stayed in a certain area to a certain extent, he may experience a certain degree of inertia. At this time, the sales manager can adopt a rotation method to rotate the regional supervisors. 4. Sales Manager vs Customer Service Executive Now, customer service is getting more and more attention. In many enterprises, the customer service department has become independent and belongs to the same level as the marketing department and sales department. In an increasingly competitive environment, the quality of an enterprise's service directly affects its image and status.Many customers have become accustomed to seeing service levels as an indicator of a provider's competitiveness.In the daily sales and service process, the degree of communication between the sales manager and the customer service supervisor directly affects the sales and payment collection work, so special attention should be paid. 5. Sales Manager VS Salesperson According to the principle of vertical command, the sales manager should not directly command the business representatives (unless the sales manager does not have a regional supervisor or the regional supervisor itself is a business representative), but the sales manager must obtain first-hand information from the business representative. How to do it?The best way is to ask the sales representative to submit a series of reports through the regional supervisor (if the sales manager does not know the front-line situation, he will not be able to make many decisions), such as sales daily report, sales weekly report, market information feedback form, etc. 6. Sales manager's debriefing Debriefing is a job that many companies are carrying out. Through debriefing, a comprehensive summary and plan can be made for the work.There are generally three forms of debriefing in the marketing center: the first debriefing, regular debriefing, and special debriefing. (1) Debriefing for the first time.That is to say, the upper and lower levels jointly discuss the job terms of the lower level, generally in the following situations: before the new recruits sign the employment contract; before the new management model will be officially implemented; the job nature changes resulting in job changes; and so on.The content of the debriefing includes the work jurisdiction and scope, the direct responsibility of the position, the leadership responsibility of the position, and the main power of the position.Through debriefing, the subordinate accepts the various tasks and responsibilities described by the superior, and the subordinate accepts the treatment and remuneration of the position. (2) regular debriefing.That is to say, subordinates report to their superiors on a regular basis.For example, the sales manager reports to the vice president of marketing every 3 months, and the regional director reports to the sales manager every 2 months.The cycle of regular debriefing can be determined according to the characteristics of the industry and enterprise.When debriefing, subordinates need to report one by one according to the content of the job description, and present relevant evidence and materials; they need to report progress in combination with weekly, quarterly, and annual work plans; they need to propose improvement plans; they need to improve the imperfect and unreasonable terms in the job description Proposals; recommendations for improvement are needed to address long-standing barriers to coordination between departments.In the debriefing, the superior will question or answer the subordinate's questions and suggestions to the subordinate.Through debriefing, the superior finally evaluates the work of the subordinate and gives a reply to the suggestion submitted by the subordinate. (3) Special debriefing.That is to say, the superior describes the work adjustment (or correction) to the subordinate.Generally, it is carried out under the following circumstances: the terms of the job description are extremely unreasonable (at this time, both the superior and the subordinate can submit an application for amendment); the adjustment of business brings about the adjustment of functions; personnel changes such as transfer or job rotation occur; work content.The main contents of the debriefing include: amending the unreasonable terms in the job description; redefining the job content, responsibilities, powers, interests and affiliation according to business adjustments; providing new job descriptions during job rotation; Injected job content. Marketing and sales work is not a completely independent process. There are often close internal links between the internal, internal and external (including other brother departments) of the marketing system.They not only assume their respective responsibilities according to regulations and procedures, but also serve and restrict each other. 1. Sales Department VS Marketing Department The marketing department is one of the departments most closely related to the sales department. The two departments are interdependent and often need to fight side by side (the various resources provided by the marketing department are an important guarantee for the sales department to successfully complete its performance). The work closely related to the marketing department and the sales department includes: (1) Development and launch of new products; channel planning and design. (2) Formulation of sales targets; formulation of annual marketing plans. (3) The marketing department conveys research information on market demand, competition, environment, etc. to the sales department. (4) The sales department cooperates and supports the research work and requests of the marketing department. 2. Sales Department VS Finance Department The sales department is the department that makes money, and the finance department is the department that manages money.The finance department should not only control the customer's payment, but also control the expenses of the sales department.The related work between the two departments includes the issuance and management of invoices, the management of accounts receivable, the management of customer credit limits, reconciliation operations, sales expense management, and reimbursement operations. First of all, sales revenue has a great impact on the capital flow of the company, and the finance department should cooperate with the sales department to do a good job of collecting, reminding, and reviewing.Secondly, financial analysis is also an important basis for marketing decision-making. The financial department should regularly provide relevant financial analysis reports, sales expense analysis reports, sales profit analysis reports, product structure analysis reports and other materials to the sales department.Again, budget control is an important means to reduce sales expenses, which is also an important aspect of communication between the finance department and the sales department. 3. Sales Department VS Product Department (1) Production is based on sales.The marketing concepts of many enterprises have changed, and they are able to determine production based on sales (making production plans based on sales plans).The production and sales coordination meeting held regularly by the enterprise (usually on a monthly basis) is a means of communication. The production supervisor and sales manager will attend the production and sales coordination meeting to discuss the next production and sales goals.After the production and sales target is approved and determined, it is generally issued to the production unit in written form (official document). (2) Guaranteed quality and quantity.Product quality and quality stability are the key to attract customers to repeat purchases. In order to ensure consistent quality, the regular product quality seminars held by many companies are a communication platform for companies including sales departments.The topic of product quality seminars is usually product quality analysis and improvement, and it is usually held in the company's conference room or on the spot where quality problems occur.Participants usually include vice president of marketing, production manager, marketing manager, sales manager, R&D manager and related executives. 4. Sales Department VS R&D Department (1) Research and development is market-oriented.The sales department should submit market information and product development suggestions to the R&D department from time to time, and the R&D personnel can also inspect the market together with the sales personnel (or market personnel) to obtain market information, and the R&D personnel can also jointly hold product development seminars with the sales department Will come to discuss and solve product improvement and development issues. (2) The selling point is backed by research and development.The improvement and upgrading of technology will have a major impact on the product - it can create selling points, establish differentiation and competitive advantages. R&D personnel can help refine the selling points of products, assist in sales, and test-market samples through the sales department. Product implementation improvements. For the sales team, the four key factors of the sales manager—leadership, communication, sales, and interpersonal interaction—determine the fate of the sales team, and internal and interdepartmental communication are very important for the development of sales work and the achievement of sales goals , the sales manager has a very important responsibility in it. They are not only responsible for the growth of sales staff and the achievement of sales goals, but also responsible for the coordination and communication between the sales department and other departments.In fact, for most companies, sales managers and salespeople must be the catalyst for dealing with other departments. 1. The technique of praise Constantly praising salespeople is one of the effective ways to motivate.Every salesperson wants to be praised, but if you praise the salesperson casually, you may be misunderstood or underestimated by the salesperson, and you will think that the leader has no principles.To praise employees, different methods should be adopted according to different times and people. A successful leader can only be a successful leader who knows the skills of praise. Here are various ways of praise: (1) Praise is natural.Deliberate praise will make the salesperson unhappy, so the praise must be natural.It is important that the supervisor has an understanding of the expected value in the mind of the salesperson, and the salesperson will praise each time the expected value is met. (2) Praise should be simple and to the point.A simple and to-the-point compliment is simply "that's great."Some sales managers are not tired of explaining the reasons and reasons for praise, which turns into preaching, but blurs the main points. (3) Grasp the opportunity.Praising the salesperson should also grasp the timing, and immediately praise the results when they appear.For example, when a salesperson calls to tell you that the sale is successful, give them a compliment on the spot instead of waiting until they return to the company. (4) Praise with a fuss.When an unconfident salesperson succeeds, the supervisor can exaggerate his praise, and the shy supervisor may not be good at performing, but performing is also one of the supervisor's jobs. (5) Indirect praise.Praising the salesperson in front of other people is also one of the ways to spread it indirectly to the ears of the person concerned.Indirect compliments can stimulate employees' willingness to work more than direct compliments from their bosses. (6) Praise in front of all employees.Praise is the typical example, but there is another way to boast about a salesperson's successes during a sales meeting and allow him to develop results. (7) One-to-one praise.The boss praised the employee one-on-one, and the two shared the joy with each other.For example, when two people succeed in fighting together, say "It's all thanks to your efforts" and confirm each other's secrets. (8) Out-of-pocket treats.Supervisors paid out of their own pocket for treats to celebrate subordinates' successes.This is different from the communication in the company, and it is very effective in maintaining the relationship of trust between the boss and the subordinates. (9) Think deeply about the content of praise.Complimenting the superficial results of a competent salesperson is a taboo.Their strategic process deserves admiration, so praise the content of their work. 2. Skills of Criticism As a manager, we must remember that the purpose of criticism is to better motivate.Criticism is a negative incentive. Some sales managers use criticism as a career, picking out the shortcomings and mistakes of salespeople to make a fuss.Criticism is to correct shortcomings and improve sales ability, but blindly blaming may cause sales staff to feel inferior and dissatisfied, and even leave without saying hello. The essence of criticism is to improve the sales ability of the salesperson through reprimand, so the salesperson cannot be blamed at will.The way of criticism can be divided into five stages according to the content and object. The first stage is hinting: the method of hinting with attitude, such as stern eyes, or rude attitude, or discussing failure cases, etc. The second stage is advice: vaguely reprimand the object of expression, such as "go back and think about it" "will there be a problem", let the subordinates think about what the department head is referring to. 第三阶段是引起部属的注意：明确指出具体的部分、方法，如“那种方式行不通”“考虑不够周详”。 第四阶段是申诫：情绪性的责骂，如“笨蛋”“重新进行”“难道你都没干劲吗？”(主管无计可施时，往往会采用这种方式)。 第五阶段是制裁：不派工作给他，把负责的客户交给别人，让他从事别的工作，减薪或降低奖金。 这五种批评方式，应该从第一阶段开始，依序进行才正确。若突然跳到第四、第五阶段，只会造成部属心中的疙瘩。在此有一点必须注意，仅是主管按阶段批评还不行，要让销售人员知道申诫的顺序，或是从周围的例子得知，销售经理以这五个阶段进行批评。但要注意以下几点： (1)不要造成心中疙瘩。部属一旦有意改进，就要停止斥责。 (2)锁定一件事。锁定某一件事斥责，千万不要把其他事情牵扯进来。 (3)最后要提供线索。批评之后，应提供正确的做法、线索作为总结。 (4)要有爱心。批评之间要让部属感受到爱。 妥善处理销售团队的冲突是销售经理应该具备的能力。销售团队内出现冲突现象是正常的，存在着必然性和偶然性。冲突的原因和性质是不一样的，因此，销售经理采取的措施也应该有所不同。有的冲突对于提高销售团队的工作效率是有利的，应该加以利用；有的冲突纯属团队成员之间的私怨，恶意报复，这时应该严厉加以制止。 1.缺乏沟通 缺乏沟通会导致冲突。沟通渠道不顺畅、成员之间沟通的积极性不高，会造成团队成员之间存在误解，当这些误解积累到一定程度而无法被化解时，冲突就会出现。当然，沟通过程中的一些不良因素，如语义理解困难、沟通中的噪音、多个渠道传播等也容易导致误解，出现冲突。 2.团队的内部结构 团队结构中的以下因素也会导致冲突的出现： (1)分工细致程度。当团队的规模越来越大、任务越来越专业化的时候，团队成员的分工就比较细致，都有明确的工作范围和界限，如果其他成员有所涉及或进行干预，发生冲突的可能性就会加入。 (2)任职的时间长短。任职的时间和冲突成反比例，团队成员越年轻，在团队工作的时间越短，发生冲突的可能性也就越大。相反，团队成员越成熟，积累的相关经验越多，越不容易出现冲突。 (3)管理范围的明确程度。管理范围的模糊性也增加了团队间为控制资源和领域而产生的冲突。 (4)参与的氛围。参与的风格和冲突也有高度相关性。参与性强，鼓励团队成员提出不同的见解，这时冲突的可能性就会加大。 3.个人因素 有些销售成员对于其他成员存在偏见，以至于连带对相关人员的某个观点也不赞成，甚至看不惯他们的一言一行，此时冲突就在所难免。 此外，价值观方面的差异对冲突的影响也很大，来自不同背景下的销心人员可能会因为观念的差异而引发冲突；而专制、缺乏自尊或者自尊心太强也是冲突潜在的原因，以上三点会成为冲突的根源，构成了冲突的隐性或潜在因素。一以遇到合适的机会，冲突的发生就在所难免。 1.冲突的有效性 冲突井不都是有害的，也有其积极的一面。其积极性主要表现在： (1)内部的分歧与对抗能形成各部门相互支持的体系。 (2)冲突暴露能使对抗的成员将心中的不满发泄出来，否则压抑怒气反而会造成极端反应。 (3)与外部团队或者成员的冲突可以增加销售团队的内部凝聚力。 (4)冲突可以使冲突部门充分表现各自的实力，并最后达到权力的平衡，以防止无休止的争斗。 (5)冲突可促使联合，以求生存或对付更强人的敌人。 2.冲突的有害性 团队中也有具损害性的或阻碍目标实现的冲突，有时有益冲突也可能会转化成有害冲突，团队管理者必须消除这种冲突。冲突的有害性主要表现在以下几点： (1)导致人力、物力分散，团队凝聚力降低。 (2)造成人们的紧张与敌意，影响团队成员之间的友谊与协作，降低人们对工作的关心程度。 (3)冲突严重时，会影响组织和团队的寿命，甚至会造成整个团队的解体。 冲突的有效性和有害性是依据它对团队绩效的影响来衡量的，销售经理不能简单地把一项冲突划归到某一类，必须在现实中根据它的建设性和破坏性加以确定。既然冲突的发生有着其必然性，销售经理就应该认清冲突的性质，充分利用它的有效性，来为销售团队的目标服务；同时，尽量避免有害冲突的发生。 和任何事物的发展过程一样，冲突的产生也有阶段性，在每个发展阶段都有一定的行为特点，因此，销售经理也应该根据每个阶段的不同特点采取恰当的措施来处理团队中的冲突。具体来讲，冲突的发展可以分为五个阶段。 第一阶段：出现可能引起冲突的潜在因素。在冲突过程的第一阶段存在一些因素，这些因素不一定会直接导致冲突，但它是产生冲突的必要条件，这些条件可以概括为沟通、团队的结构和个人因素。这三点会成为冲突的根源，构成了冲突的隐性或潜在因素。 第二阶段：冲突的外显。在冲突外显之前，冲突的双方会产生冲突出现的认知。认知即当潜在的对立和不一致显现出来后，双方意识到冲突出现，它表明冲突问题明朗化。情绪因素对于认知起很大作用，消极的情绪会导致问题非理性的处理，从而使冲突更加激化；而积极的情绪会使团队成员以一种开阔的眼光来发现潜在的联系，从而制定出更具创新性的解决方案。但认知到冲突并不代表着冲突已经外显，个性化的处理将决定冲突的性质，因为此时团队成员个人的情感已经介入其中。同时，由于该阶段冲突问题明朗化，冲突双方对于冲突的看法和态度将决定冲突的性质及冲突的升级，因此，在此阶段对于冲突性质的界定在很大程度上影响着解决的方法。 第三阶段：产生行为意向行为。意向一个人的产生认知、情感之后的想法，它指的是从事某种特定行为的决策，即个人认识到冲突已经发生和采取行为的意向。只有了解一个人的行为意向，才可能了解到下一步行为，但有时行为和行为意向之间会存在不一致的情况。就是说，团队成员也许想的是一套，而实际做的是另外一套。 第四阶段：冲突行为。人们有了行为意向，就会采取一定的行为，有时候行为意向和实际行为之间也可能会表现出不一致。冲突的行为阶段包括冲突双方进行的说明、活动和态度。也就是说，冲突一方的行为，是为了看一看对方如何反应。冲突的行为带有明显的刺激性，由于判断错误和缺乏经验，有时外显的行为会偏离原本的意图。而且，冲突的行为直接决定着冲突的结果。不理智的冲突行为会导致严重的后果。当冲突发生后，销售经理可以采用以下技术进行处理： (1)利用职权。团队管理成员用正式的权威来化解冲突，例如，销售经理通过官方命令来制止冲突，利用领导者的权威化解冲突。这要求冲突的双方遵循“矛盾上缴”原则，即销售人员之间的冲突由销售经理解决。职权控制法是一种直接处理团队冲突的方法。 (2)冲突缓冲。即进行冷处理，不急于处理冲突，待冲突双方均冷静后再来处理。 (3)暴露处理。此种方法就是干脆把矛盾展开，待充分暴露出问题的症结后再进行处理。采取此方法的前提是双方都有化解冲突、言归于好的意愿。当意见不一致时可以通过谈判来解决，必要时可以找第三方来调停。有的时候，参与的第三方在促成冲突双方和解方面起着重要的作用。通过第三方隔离的作用减少团队内一方在人员和权力方面对另外一方的威胁；当一方积极另一方冷淡时，中间人需要做大量细致的工作，消除双方的分歧；当一方对另一方的建议作出积极反应时，要适时把握时机，打破僵局并促成合作。 (4)引起冲突。它是一种对冲突主动积极的利用方式。销售经理在决策中可以有意识地引入两种对立的方案，鼓励大家进行讨论，在对立中找到统一性，从而使决策更全面。当销售团队没有生气、没有什么争议和新的观念出现时，就需要树立一个对立面，以一个方案作为蓝本，在这个基础上鼓励对方从反面或从不同的角度对这个方案提出批评，而不管这个方案是谁制定的，从而多角度、全方位地寻找方案的不足。 第五阶段：冲突产生结果。团队发生冲突可以产生以下两种结果： 一种是有利的结果。有利的结果主要是对那些功能正常的冲突而言。这种冲突能提高决策的质量，激发革新与创造，调动群体成员的兴趣，提供问题公开、提供紧张解除的渠道，促进团队成员的友谊，树立领导者的威严，培养自我评估与变革的环境。 另一种是有害的结果。有害的结果主要是对那些功能失调的冲突而言。这种冲突带来的不良影响，可能会降低群体的绩效：造成沟通不畅，团队成员之间误会重重；使团队的凝聚力降低，缺乏合作的意识；使团队工作以明争暗斗为主，销售目标降至次位；在极端情况下，还会威胁到整个销售团队的生死存亡。 当团队发生冲突时，销售经理应首先对冲突的性质进行全面细致的分析，然后根据冲突的不同性质，采取适当的方法有针对性地加以解决。冲突可分为工作上的冲突和人际关系的冲突。其中，工作冲突是围绕某项具体工作而产生的意见分歧，人际冲突是指团队成员之间的对立情绪。这两种冲突在某些情况下可能会相互转换。因为工作冲突，团队成员可能会争得而红耳赤，再进一步可能就会影响到人际关系；反过来，人际冲突达到一定程度，团队成员也会因为对个别成员的偏见而影响到对其观点的看法。销售经理可以根据不同的情况采取不同的解决办法。总体来说，冲突发生后，销售经理可以采取以下措施来处理。 (1)竞争法。在团队冲突处理中寻求自我利益的满足，而不考虑他人的影响。它适用于当需要团队作出快速的、重大的决策，执行重要但不受欢迎的行动计划等情况时。这种做法的缺点是冲突的真正起因得不到很好的解决，而且使用此方法还应当充分考虑受负面影响一方的情绪。 (2)迁就法。在团队冲突中，为了维持相互友好的关系，一方愿意自我牺牲，以服从他人观点。它适用在当团队工作重点在于营造和谐、平静的气氛或为团队成员提供尝试错误的机会时。这种做法的不足之处是如果在重要问题上进行迁就，有可能让团队成员觉得领导者的做法过于软弱。 (3)回避法。当发生团队冲突时，由于希望抑制冲突而采取的既不合作，也不维护自身利益，使其不了了之的做法。它适用于当团队冲突起因只不过是琐碎小事或冲突带来的潜在利害关系得不偿失时。这种做法的缺点在于只能缓解团队冲突，而无法主动化解。 (4)合作法。在团队冲突中，通过与对方一起寻求解决问题、进行互惠互利的双赢谈判来解决冲突。它适用于冲突双方有着共同的目标，或冲突原因是误解或者缺乏交流等情况。缺点是需要一个漫长的谈判和达成协议的过程，而且有时在解决思想冲突上不一定有用。 (5)妥协法。冲突双方都放弃一些应得利益，以求共同承担后果。它适用于为复杂问题寻求一个暂时的解决方案或冲突双方势均力敌的时候。但这种做法是不可能通过妥协达成最佳解决问题的方案。 上述五种冲突处理方法各有优缺点。销售经理面对冲突情况时，应当具体问题具体分析并加以妥善解决。 销售经理要不断为销售团队“提供”能量，激励每个销售人员实现销售目标。销售经理在激励技能上，要善于区别“动力”和“动机”。“动力”是外部压力的结果，即“我不得不干”，动机是个人内在的要求，是“我要干”。 许多销售经理在对销售人员的激励上，只注意“动力”原因，忽视“动机”原因。例如，过多地强调金钱刺激，动辄以“辞聘”威胁，未能给予销售人员应有的认同和尊重，尤其不能让销售人员有成就感。 俗话说，“你可以强行把马儿拉到河边，但你绝不能强迫它喝水”。也就是说，销售经理可以用种种手段对销售人员进行考核惩罚，但这绝不能保证每个销售人员都会发自内心地为销售尽心尽力。 销售经理应通过积极引导，优化销售人员的动机，使销售人员真正地热爱销售工作，自觉自愿地提升销售技巧，创造销售成绩。 销售经理可以扪心自问：“我为销售团队提供安全的组织环境了吗？”不要天天喊着“不好好干就炒你”。销售经理要始终如一地让其销售人员感到，不会轻易批评他，更不会因为一件事就轻易把其辞退。让销售人员有一定的工作安全感，让他们珍惜这份工作，因为珍惜是热爱的前提。 销售经理让销售人员感到自己对他们的认同和尊重了吗？采取肯定式沟通方式本身就是对销售人员的动机“激励”。 销售经理让每位销售人员都看到自己工作中的进步，对完成自己的任务，哪怕是很小的进步，都有一种自我成就感吗？ 成为一名优秀的销售人员，需要他开始就有积极的心态，一份学习销售技巧的热情，而“兴趣是最好的老师”。作为销售经理，与其天天压着推着手下人员去工作，不如让工作本身成为他的兴趣，成为他炙热的爱好。销售经理应该不断给整个团队推动力，不仅要给销售人员增加销售动力，更应通过积极地引导优化销售人员的销售动机，促进他们的销售兴趣和热情。 为销售人员营造一个积极追求成就感的组织环境和团从氛围，让每位销售人员保持销售热情，提高绩效，是销售经理面对的最困难的挑战。在激烈竞争的环境中，仅仅让销售人员把工作完成是不够的，如何激励自己的销售团队？当人们谈论建立有效的团队激励环境时，总是会提到金钱。有人会说，“如果你真要激发你的销售力量，多给他钱就行了”。钱作为激励因子，对销售经理和公司达到更高的目标，真是如此重要吗？ 金钱的确可以激励人，尤其是销售人员。当销售经理为更高的收益而支付更多的金钱补贴时，销售经理能顺利吸引更优秀的业务人员并保持更高质量的销售业绩，但金钱激励也有其局限性： 首先，公司的销售利益率有一个底线，不可能为了激励销售人员，在他们获取丰厚报酬时，让公司分文不赚。 其次，金钱激励不会持久有力。如果销售经理给一位销售业绩好的销售人员工资涨15%，这会使他以后连续几个月干得更加卖力，但不能保证1年以后还是如此。因为随着时间的推移，这次涨工资的激励效果会慢慢消失，销售人员觉得习以为常了。如果希望他再有热情和进步，就必须再加薪，但时间久了，又会习以为常，这种水涨船高式的循环，导致两个结果：公司不断加薪，才能确保刺激这位销售人员积极工作；销售人员变得唯利是图，加薪就干，不加薪就没干劲了。 对于刚从学校毕业经济条件较差的新销售人员，金钱的刺激的确能够让他们奋发进取，但那些工作5年、10年的老销售人员，收入可观，吃喝不愁，他们对再增加一点钱不稀罕，如何让他们还能像在创业初期时那样，不断挑战自我，始终保持生生不息的创业精神？这恐怕不仅仅是钱能解决的。 对销售人员的激励，金钱不是唯一因素，取决于销售经理是否营造一个良好的激励环境，尽管金钱是建立有效的激励环境的基础，但其关键的因素还包括机会、认知、培训、授权和目标。 如果说面对现在，金钱是激励销售人员的第一关键，那么面对未来，向销售人员的职业生涯，开放每一个晋升的机会，是增加激励环境的第一因素。 魏某是某家企业的销售代表，在该公司已工作近8年，每年的销售业绩都在公司所有业务中名列前三名，公司给予他的销售奖金也极其丰厚。有一天，他突然辞职了。他的销售经理后来得知，他到另一家公司担任经理，而且报酬并没有原来的高。当他的经理给他打电话，力劝他回原公司并承诺再给他加薪时，他道出了自己的心声。他说：“我在公司已干了8年之久，公司对我也不薄，但鉴于公司现在的官僚体系，干到我这种份上，也算封顶了，再干下去还有什么意思？再说我的年龄也大了，体力和精力越来越不如年轻的销售人员，再过几年，他们的业绩肯定会超过我。到那时，如果公司嫌弃我，那就惨了，这不是加薪就能解决的问题。” 魏某的想法反映了有远见的销售人员的共同观念，销售人员整年累月在外面东奔西走，既费体力又费精力，虽然凭着年轻、精力旺盛可以多挣点钱，但人需要“钱”途，更需要“前途”。销售人员希望，随着年龄、阅历的增加，能有晋升的机会，走上经理层，最后在年龄偏大时，凭自己的经验和能力在公司找到属于自己的位子。销售经理在销售人员的职业生涯规划中，要了解部下希望得到哪些提升，如果工作干得出色，在公司待了很长的时间，他们什么时候和如何能够提拔到公司更高级别。对大部分销售人员来说，在他们的职业生涯中，潜在的晋升机会意味着更好的工作职位、更多的责任和更高的报酬，这对他们的激励很大。 为了满足销售人员对晋升机会的要求，销售经理在自己的职责范围内，可对销售职称进行分层，建立不同的级别。表13-1是某家公司销售人员的级别设计。 建立业务人员考核晋升制度，能部分地满足销售人员对晋升机会的要求。作为整个公司来说，应向每位员工表明，只要他们干得出色，公司一有职位空缺，就会优先考虑公司内部员工，而且让每位员工看到，公司以往也一直是这么做的。对销售经理而言，其公司里有对其手下销售人员敞开的提升机会吗？如何增加和改善销售人员的工作职能和职业