Sales Leaders, Are You Making Any Of These 5 Leadership Mistakes?

Would your sales team say you are more like Blake from Glengarry Glen Ross or Michael Scott from The Office?

Studies show that sales teams with bad managers make on average 20 percent or more less than sales teams with good managers. Now is the time to take note of any leadership mistakes you may have been making and formulate a plan to stop them in their tracks.

If you have been guilty of any of these 5 leadership mistakes, then perhaps you have some work to do in 2017.

1. Forgetting You’re the Leader

The chief. The head. The commander of the troops. That should be you. But if you find yourself just sporadically checking in on your reps and not being the one in the forefront guiding them through their deals, then perhaps you need to improve your leadership skills.

Remember to treat your salespeople like an investment. Go along with them on sales calls, help them navigate the path to closing deals, and be present to give advice and answer questions.

2. Not Giving Enough Credit to the Sales Team

Maybe you did train, hand-hold, and raise your sales reps into the wonderful sales professionals they are today. But your job is to build your sales team up, make them feel strong and invincible. Even if that means giving them credit for the whole deal when you have helped out quite a bit.

Letting a rep shine only reflects positively on you. Give them the props they deserve for big wins. If you are a good coach, then you should be proud of your team. Their successes are your successes, so share in it together!

3. Playing Favorites

Humans are drawn to people they share common interests with, so it’s sometimes hard to recognize when you are playing favorites. Yes, it’s okay to talk about the game with someone on your team that also enjoys basketball, but it’s not okay to also give that person all the best leads.

Make sure you don’t give preferential treatment to any of your reps, or pit them against one another. A true sales leader works with each person on their team to draw out their strengths and make sure the group works together towards a unified goal.

4. Not Being Available Enough

Managers tend to have a lot of meetings and client calls that take them out of the office. However, if your team doesn’t even remember what you look like, then you need to readjust your schedule and start showing your face again.

As a leader, you need to physically be present in order to really engage with your reps. The atmosphere in the office can tell you a lot about how your team is doing. Get your butt into the office and show your sales team that you are there to help guide them along the way to success.

5. Not Loving Your Job

Are you always complaining about sales and the pain of managing a team? Perhaps you never wanted to be a sales leader and were somehow thrown promotion after promotion and found yourself in a role you hate.

Unfortunately, it’s not all about you. You have a team of reps who need a good leader on their side. So either get your head out of your ass and start leading, or find a new job. They deserve better.

By addressing these common leadership mistakes and giving your team the tools to succeed (like Spiro) you can help your team succeed.