- You were an outstanding field representative, weren't you?
You wouldn't have got promoted or be considered
for a field sales management position if you weren't.
Yes, being a field sales representative was so great.
You had some outstanding years out there,
some record sale successes, and the amazing relationships
you established with your accounts
was often spoken about in staff meetings.
Well, I'm about to bring you back to reality.
Did you read the job description for field sales manager?
It does say sales in your title,
but it's so different than the one you had
as a sales representative with a territory.
You're not calling on accounts and bringing in
new business anymore.
Your primary responsibilities now are to ensure
your team of salespeople are productive.
Hitting and exceeding sales targets and doing it profitably.
I had a manager who's laser focus was
the field sales manager's job is to hit the numbers
and not overspend while doing it.
There's some truth to that, but that's certainly not
the most encouraging way to approach it.
Beyond revenue and numbers, there are so many productive
and positive responsibilities of a manger
that ultimately lead to that.
It's what makes the job of a field sales manager
fun and rewarding.
Your company will have some specific objectives
for you to follow, but these are some
that are pretty much universal.
Hiring.
Goes without saying that this function is critical
and you'll get assistance from your human resources
department, but you have to own this.
A weak hire will not only cost you time and expense,
but lost revenue, too.
Coaching and training.
The best sales managers are great coaches
and work closely with each salesperson to develop them.
This ties into the overall corporate training strategy
and individual programs you may initiate.
Evaluation.
This is a part of the entire development process
of your team.
You need to ensure that your stars are able to shine
and those who need assistance are getting it.
It's also about making moves quickly
and respectfully when things aren't working.
Communication.
Balancing the needs from the field and those from the office
requires honest and frequent communication.
There's a real learning curve with this
and you need to see it as an important responsibility.
Customer relationship management software.
The use of your company's CRM or other form
of account tracking is so important
that it needs to be a standalone objective.
Motivation.
This ability is another responsibility that separates
the real leader of a team of sales professionals
and the mediocre manager.
Leadership.
You'll protect your team by keeping your salespeople away
from too many corporate meetings that can derail them.
However, it's also about knowing when to bring in
the VP of sales, marketing, or even a higher level
team member to help with a customer and close a sale.
Finance.
This covers everything from sales forecasting,
expense tracking, and budgeting, to setting sales targets,
compensation, planning, and incentive payouts.
Hopefully you have a business manager or a financial
manager to assist you, but even if you don't
you need to be skilled with this.
There are a lot of moving parts and more responsibilities
than you might suspect initially.
You may need some additional training in some areas,
or like any job, time to get a good feel of the role.
The diverse aspect of the job, the opportunity
to really make an impact on people,
and the success of your company is what makes
being a field sales manager exciting.