Best Practices in Sales Performance Improvement

The Role of the First Line Sales Manager

Publication Date	April 2009
Publisher	IDC
Product Type	Report
Pages	26
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	IDC05581

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Summary

This IDC study, based on a series of interviews with both senior sales executives and a sampling of first line sales managers, provides a framework for understanding the first line sales manager's important role and discusses both the best practices and challenges faced by sales managers. While the first line sales manager plays a pivotal role in driving productivity and efficiency in any sales organization, most executives have little understanding of the role, how managers spend their time, the profile of a successful manager, or even how to support their success.

Lee Levitt, program director, IDC Sales Advisory Service, states: "Sales organizations that truly understand both the value and impact of the first line sales manager, and that also properly hire, support, and manage this role, will find the performance of their "B" players, the majority of the sales organization, to substantially improve. No organization can overestimate the power of this role to influence sales results."

Content

IDC Opinion
In This Study
- Executive Summary
Situation Overview
- Introduction
- Research Findings
  - Role of the First Line Sales Managers
  - Direct Selling
    - Empowering the Sales Manager
    - Give Back Time
  - Revenue Goals - Personal Quota or Team Quota
    - Manager Skill Mix - Management Skills Versus Sales Skills
    - As the Pendulum Swings
  - Types of Sales Managers
  - Environmental Variables
  - First Line Sales Manager Tenure
- People Management (Hiring, Training, and Development)
  - Hiring of First Line Sales Managers
  - Skills and Competencies
    - Money-Making Attributes
- The Ideal Sales Manager
  - Sales Manager Career Path
  - Training of First Line Sales Managers
    - Licensed to Manage
  - Community of Peers
  - Managing Low Performers Out
  - Time Management
  - Biggest Time Wasters
    - Pipeline Pandemonium (Forecast Fray)
  - Role Definition and Competencies
    - Hiring Sales Reps
    - Fact-Based Selection Process
  - Training Sales Reps
    - The First Line Sales Manager as Coach
    - Enabling Efficiency for the First Line Sales Managers
    - Teachable Moment: Deal Review Process
  - Specific Coaching Best Practices
    - Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timely Goals
    - Personality Typing
    - Sales Methodology as Coaching Framework
    - Win/Loss Review
    - Bottom Performer Management
  - Opportunity Management
  - Pipeline Forecasting
- Performance Management and Compensation
  - Key Performance Indicators
  - Compensation
Future Outlook
- Opportunities
  - The Role of First Line Sales Manager - Coming of Age
Essential Guidance
- Best Practice Summary
  - Get the Basics Right
  - Defined Competencies
  - Meaningful Metrics
  - Time Well Spent
  - Coaching, Not Inspecting
  - Community of Peers
  - First Line Sales Managers Span of Control
  - Who Is Doing the Selling?
Learn More
- Related Research
- Methodology
  - Survey Respondents
- Synopsis
List of Tables
- Table: First Line Sales Manager Skills and Competencies
List of Figures
- Figure: Sample Sales Management Competencies