What Exactly Makes an Interim Sales Leader Successful?

Learnings from The Netherlands

“The earth is motionless

And poised in space …

A great bird resting in its flight

Between the alleys of the stars.

It is the wind's hour off ….

The wind has nestled down among the corn ….

The two speak privately together,

Awaiting the whirr of wings.”

from Interim by Lola Ridge

This is not my first article on this topic:

Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Interim Sales Leader

Bryophytes or How to Make an Interim Sales Leader Successful

Ensuring Success - The Considerations Around Your Interim or Fractional Sales Leader

This latest one, though, is based on a white paper originally authored by Van de Groep & Olsthoorn in The Netherlands. They identify nine success factors and, like me, argue that the success of any fractional or interim executive assignment is primarily the result of matching the right leader into the organization.

Let me put those nine factors to the test, though, specifically for a fractional or interim sales leader:

1.     Experience in and knowledge of your market, technique, and product. “An Interim Manager should have years of experience in your market, with your specific technique(s) and the type of product.”

I agree with the need for experience in the technology and the product, though I would qualify it with “type of.” There are obviously big differences in the sales structure between services, CPGs, D2C goods, durables, or commodities. A successful sales leader comes with prior experience in the category. Whether the CPG is a snack or a drink is secondary when it comes to selling into retail.

Experience in the market or industry is a double-edged sword, though. In some cases, it is absolutely necessary for success. In others, the business needs to purposely look for an outsider to bring in fresh thinking and avoid the "we have always done it that way."

2.     Balanced, resolute personality. “A good Interim Manager is calm and composed, but is also resolute, above all in stressful situations.”

Those are definitely some of the more important qualities a fractional or interim sales leader needs to possess to be successful in an assignment. I would add great communication, problem-solving, adaptability & flexibility, positivity, and honesty to the list.

3.     Aware of organizational politics and competent both in terms of leadership and social skills. “A good change manager is like a fish in the water in a variety of organizations. They quickly understand how things are done and make constructive use of that.”

I believe that this ability comes with experience… and, yes, age. A fractional or interim sales leader has gone through several different organizational cultures in their career and has adopted successfully every time.

4.     Outlines the assignment, but approaches it as a mission to improve the entire organization. “What is the underlying problem? What is going wrong or is not happening enough at the moment? And what are the ways to improve this? Starting from this focus, the Interim Manager slowly zooms out to the entire organization to see how this specific problem can be effectively dealt with as part of the larger organization.”

Sales never stand isolated from the rest of the organization. A problem in operations, customer service, or marketing can severely impact sales performance or vice-versa.

5.     A good click between Interim Manager and client as well as clear agreements. “We can introduce fantastic Interim Managers with experiences and backgrounds that are 100% in line with the wishes of the client, but if the Interim Manager does not fit the organizational culture and the personal workstyle of the client, the assignment will never be a success.”

I love to work with founders, business owners, and CEOs that understand cultural fit… and that also appreciate the value of a great functional fit. In a sales world that is metrics-driven, culture does not trump everything.  

6.     An analysis of the assignment. “Because if you want to resolve a problem within an organization, you have to be sure that you know exactly what the problem is.”

The power of asking questions. Especially in sales, great salespeople (and leaders) spend more time listening than talking.

7.     A comprehensive action plan with clear commitments and evaluation sessions. “With realistic goals, KPIs and timeframes.”

Time vs. value: Is the foundation used to determine the success the time the executive invests? Or is it the value they deliver to the business? Time, either in hours given to the client in the contract or as an estimation for completing the project, might be the easier argument to agree on.

Value sometimes is in the eye of the beholder, though incremental sales revenue delivered is undeniable. And beyond immediate, tangible revenue, when value is the importance, the worth, or the usefulness of the deliverables agreed upon in an SOW, it might just be laying the foundation for all future growth, way beyond the actual assignment. This intangible value can be made visible, too.

8.     An assignment is brought to a clear conclusion with a review and handover. “An Interim Manager will have only been successful if the changes then implemented in the company's operations still prove to be of added value after several years.”

Absolutely! A great interim or fractional sales leader does not just walk out the door at the end of the assignment. They leave behind a legacy in the form of processes, structures, documentation, hires, clients, and so much more.

9.     A good Interim Manager will pay for themselves. “Cost savings are an important reason for organizations to engage an Interim Manager.”

Depending on your business needs, the capability or capacity of your existing team, and your resources overall, fractional or interim sales leaders fill the physical void, the skill gap, or add a resource to increase speed. Since they are on-demand, you only engage and pay them when they are needed. And if the need is not full-time, you only pay for the time you need their specific skillset.

Contact us if you would like to explore how those nine success factors might help your business.

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Photo by Anne Gosewehr