In today’s sales environment, a manager that holds great knowledge and expertise will always boost his company’s activities, employees, and overall performances. But to become great at something, you need to work hard and especially smart.
The difference between two concepts is huge. Some people suggest that only by working hard you can accomplish what you want, while others go to the other extreme. But in fact…the real key to excellence is to balance the hard work with the smart work.
Let me give you an example. If you work 10 hours a day, counting hours, you’re working hard but not smart. You might get some pieces of work done, but there’s no structure. On the opposite case, if you have everything planned out well but you only spend 2 hours on the task, there will be half results.
So the solution is to do both. Be extremely careful with your action planning, and spend enough focus and commit to the execution of your plans.This is the mindset of a successful manager. However, managers that exceed at what they do are always developing their personal and professional skills.
They use different strategies, they test, they optimize, they adapt, and they do everything in their powers to perform as well as possible.Well, in today’s post, we’re going to list the 11 most important habits that highly successful managers actively pursue. Pay attention and apply everything you find useful!
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Set and Stick to Their Ideal Buyer Persona
Every serious sales has an ideal buyer persona. This characterization of the ideal customer is basically the primary aim of each of the organization’s departments. As a manager, you make sure that all of the company’s departments are in conformity with the final purpose of your products/service – to satisfy and solve the ideal buyer’s problems and needs.
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Plan, Plan, Plan, then Execute
Planning is an important activity which can easily improve the standards of your business. Brian Tracy once stated: “One minute of planning equals 10 minutes in action.” This quote is definitely relevant because it really speaks the truth.
If you plan everything ahead, you leave no room for errors. More than just that, you’re also allowing your subconscious mind (and your team’s) to work with the purpose of attaining the desired future state or result.
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Their Sales Process is Measurable and Repeatable
A manager that knows what he’s doing always takes care of the sales process specifics. He makes sure that the traffic juices are flowing where they need to flow, he ensures that all the new website visitors/customers/clients are getting whatever they need during the first contact with the organization, and he keeps all the other aspects under control.
Moreover, he also ensures that the sales mechanism is measurable and also repeatable. Every company should consistently optimize and scale its sales process in order to expand.
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Know Everything about Their Products or Services
Great sales managers are always in control with almost everything that’s going on in that company. In fact, the products and the services that this company sells are the first and most important aspects that a manager should be in control of.
If you want to be a reliable manager, you need to know the ins and outs of everything that you sell. This way, you’ll better coordinate your team and your strategies also.
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Execute Fact-Based (Not Feeling-Based) Pipeline Management
Every professional, especially a manager, should execute his management activities according to objective decisions. Facts over feelings. When feelings get involved, it’s inevitable that your objectives with the company will become personal.
From there on, your decision will also lack judgment because of what stands in the way of your rational thinking. Whenever you get caught up by feelings, stop, take a deep breath, and remember that your job is to stabilize the company, not to use it for your personal ambitions.
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Build Strong Personal Relationships
Relationships are truly important in general. When we’re talking about managers, personal connections can be considered a game changer. In the sales, resourcefulness is one of the most important traits that a businessman can possess.
You come across problems? Trouble? Challenges? Well, if you’ve helped others before, you can be sure that someone’s going to help you back. Create a strong network based on respect and value. Have that and you’ll turn into a super manager.
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Believe in What They’re Selling
When you do something, especially when you manage a company, you need to believe that what you’re doing is right. In most cases, companies sell things. In order for you to be 100% emotionally involved, you need to actually believe in what you’re selling.
Here’s a funny imagination exercise. You hate sodas, you know they are extremely unhealthy, and you refuse to drink them. A job offer from Coca-Cola shows up at your doorstep. They give you more than your actual company could ever give you. BUT. You have to sell sodas, and you have to sell it to a lot of people.
What do you do?
Most people will take the job because the benefits are very tempting. However, you don’t believe in what you’re selling. In time, status and money will no longer satisfy your needs, and you’ll find yourself miserable and ineffective. It’s simple. In essence, you don’t enjoy what you’re doing and you’re stepping over your personal standards and ethics.
Where does this lead to? A miserable life. Unfortunately, this outcome is present more in today’s generation of employees more than you can ever imagine. Want to stay out of the danger zone? Love your work, and it’ll smoothly turn into play.
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Always Follow Up
Whenever you’re requested to do something, make sure that you follow up.You have an important e-mail? Do not neglect it. Whenever you miss doing something that “only the manager can do”, you’re hurting your company big time.
Therefore, be careful not to miss any opportunities or requests that might appear. Your job is to be active and consistent.
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Provide Value to their Prospects
What is a professional supposed to do? Do his job well, take care of his specific responsibilities, and always support the mission of the company in the best possible manner. In short, we’re talking about value.
Jana Keith, Chief Manager at Bestessays, was kind enough to share her insights with us. She suggests that:
“A manager who gives value to his prospects, his clients, and his team,is going to be an effective and powerful component in any sales environment. Everything is based on value. Not degrees or relationship, but value.”
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View Customer’s Success as Their Own
A good manager must be able to imagine the customer’s success as one of their own. How do you do that? Well, you simply put yourself into your customer’s shoes. Imagine that you have no big knowledge about the products you’re going to buy and preserve an objective pair of eyes.
Now imagine how would you feel after a possible contact with your company and its products/services. Will you be happy? Content? Or you’d rather take your money back. Use this type of feedback to optimize all of your offers and brand promises.
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Willing to Challenge Their Prospects
Lastly yet very importantly, a successful manager knows how to motivate and challenge his prospects up to the point where the magic happens. When your prospects represent your team of employees that listen to your own commands, your responsibility is to empower each of your employees to offer their best to the company. Do that, and your company will flourish.
Takeaways
If you’re really looking for improvement, you need to look at your own person first. By changing your habits, thinking, and decisions for the better, in time, you’ll be amazed by the results you’ll obtain.
Every single company needs a professional manager who knows how to act in difficult situations. Moreover, without a person to keep track of the company’s overall performance, there might be chaos and therefore no progress.