7 Things That Can Go Wrong When You Have a Bad Sales Manager
Everybody knows that a great leader can oftentimes make all the difference in an organization. There are countless examples of legendary leaders coming in and turning around failing sales teams and companies. And leadership books, trainings, and organizations are all over the place, providing support for those who want to become more effective managers.
So why is good management so important, especially in a sales organization? The truth is that just like a great leader can take a poorly performing team and turn it around, a bad leader can take a high-performing team and ruin it.
Here are seven examples of what can (and is likely to) go wrong when you have a bad sales manager in charge:
1. Nepotism
Bad sales managers aren’t as concerned with meritocracy and people’s performances as they are with picking favorites. Whether it’s a friend or just someone they feel the most comfortable with, a poor manager will favor certain people not because of how well they’re likely to execute the team’s objectives, but because of personal or self-serving relationships. This can cause a lot of problems for a sales team, especially when it comes to lead distribution and support.
2. An environment of fear
Sales is stressful enough, but when a bad manager is in charge, the sales floor can take on an environment of fear. Bad sales managers think holding salespeople accountable and making them constantly fearful are the same thing. In reality, a fearful environment only fosters resentment and makes people behave irrationally. A great sales manager knows how to make his or her employees feel safe, while simultaneously enforcing a high level of accountability.
3. Focus on the wrong things
Bad sales managers consistently focus on the wrong things. Meetings and reports are important, but only if they’re done in order to further more important goals. Any focus on unnecessary or redundant activities takes time and energy away from things that actually move the needle. And most bad sales managers usually have interpersonal issues with people on their teams, and focus on unnecessary ego-driven conflicts instead of the big picture.
4. Poor morale
The difference between a good manager and a bad manager is how well they can inspire and motivate the people who work for them. When a bad sales manager is in charge, team morale drops, and this usually corresponds with a drop in team performance. It’s bad enough when you have coworkers who breed negativity, but when you have a bad sales manager, the whole team suffers.
5. Lack of support
Great sales managers will always make time for their employees, and will patiently help them work through any important issues. Bad sales managers are too “busy” with other things, and don’t want to be bothered. A lack of support can leave salespeople feeling isolated and unable to have their needs addressed. While no one wants to be micromanaged, members of a team expect some level of help from management when needed.
6. Blame
The best sales managers know that no matter what their team does, the responsibility is on them. A bad sales manager, however, will never take responsibility, instead blaming everybody around them for their problems. This is why it’s so challenging to work for a bad sales manager; they will throw you under the bus the minute it suits them.
7. No innovation
Bad sales managers rarely look to improve, whether it’s their managerial abilities or it’s adopting cutting-edge technology to help their sales team perform better. There are a lot of changes happening in the sales world, but bad sales leaders aren’t willing to make changes to improve. A good sales leader would invest in tools, like Spiro’s AI-Powered CRM that helps their team reach more prospects and increase sales. Great leaders know they have to adapt or get left behind, while bad ones think they’re already doing everything perfectly.
