Why Sales Leadership Matters
Don’t Leave Your Team Without a Coach
“You teach me the ways of the grand ol' game,
Yet you never do yell or blame.
I do my best with you on the side,
Ever watching for me to give it a ride.”
from Ode to the Coach by J. Kyle
A fellow sales leader and fellow Kansas Citian, Kerry George, wrote in a recent newsletter:
“Why is sales team leadership so important? If you believe the singular benefit of increased sales is the answer, think again. Sales can increase in the short term by using a variety of strategies and tactics. Sales can increase due to external factors, too. And certainly, the general economic landscape plays a role in whether sales rise or fall.
But none of these factors are reliable and sustainable. Truly effective sales leadership, on the other hand, can position your company for long-term sales growth, increasing market share, and sales team member satisfaction and loyalty. Achieving all these elements year after year depends not on trendy tactics but on excellence in sales team leadership.”
I could not agree more!
About 18 months ago, I wrote an article on the contrary situation: What Happens to an Organization Without Sales Leadership.
My conclusion: “A sales team without a leader is like a sports team without a coach: unsuccessful.”
And these are the behaviors and emotions that I have observed when sales leadership did not exist:
Indecisiveness– Sales Leaders take charge and drive decisions.
Disorganization– Sales Leaders will not allow the lack of an organizational structure.
Ethical Slips– Sales Leaders make sure ethical guardrails are adhered to.
Fragmentation– Sales Leaders turn individuals into a cohesive unit.
No Vision– Sales Leaders provide a vision that others want to follow.
Negativity– Without a Sales Leader, the water cooler turns into a cathode.
Lack of Focus– Sales Leaders help to find the right product, territory, customer, price point, etc.
Lack of Trust– People trust people, not organizations.
Status Quo– Sales Leaders understand the need for change and make it happen.
Lack of Talent Retention– Talent follows leadership.
Low energy– Sales Leaders inject energy and motivation into their team.
Surrender– In the face of adversity, a Sales Leader pushes on.
Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt– Sales Leaders understand that doubt kills the sale.
Contact us to find out how interim or fractional executives ensure that sales leadership is in place.
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