Option 1: No sales manager
You wouldn’t let the inmates run the asylum, so why let salespeople run the sales department? You might be saying, “I’m not crazy enough to let the salespeople run the sales,” but if there’s no official sales leader, that’s effectively what you’re doing. We hear...
Option 2: Owner-managed sales team
Many companies with small sales forces have an owner-managed sales team. On paper, it’s a great idea. You avoid the significant cost of a full-time sales leader while capitalizing on the talent of the owner. Most business owners have good sales skills and the talent...
Option 3: High-caliber sales leader
This option is high cost, high results and is fairly rare to see. Sure, the results are stellar, but the cost is high. We’ve only seen a handful of companies with small sales teams led by a true pro. The one company that comes to mind had three salespeople, and the...
Option 4: Inexpensive sales leader
Don’t bother. This option creates nothing more than a sales babysitter. Most companies need more than someone to keep an eye on the sales team. Companies need a sales leader who can add value. All a sales babysitter can do is keep an eye on the sales team and...
Option 5: Salesperson promoted to sales leader or dual roles
Double don’t bother. This is a trainwreck in the making. This option seems like a winner but isn’t. There are two ways this option typically plays out. The first has the salesperson also manage the team. I’ve never seen this option work, but I have heard an occasional...Recent Posts
Phantom costs could be killing your profits
I love a good bargain as much as the next person, but I learned a valuable lesson about phantom costs. That is, those costs that don’t show up on your income statement but drain profits. Everyone has heard the saying “good things are cheap, and she things are good,” however, we tend to forget it... Read more →
What is the upside to having a Proven Repeatable Sales Process?
A few years back, I was hired by a manufacturing company who was doing 7-8 million dollars in sales per years. They had been in business about 20 years and had experienced a few growth spurts, but were now in a stagnant position the past few years They were struggling to hit the next level. ... Read more →