Sales managers face many difficult challenges during their careers. Some of these challenges have to do with managing others, while others have to do with closing lucrative sales themselves. These are some of the more common challenges you will face in your sales career as well as some tips to overcome them.

Creating an Advancement Plan

Sometimes, just staying motivated and focusing on advancing your career can be difficult. As you plan out your sales career, ask yourself the following questions:

• What do I want to do? 
• What is it about the job that motivates me? 
• What kind of impact do I want to have in the world?  

There aren’t any clear answers to these questions, but that’s also part of the point. Everyone will answer them differently. The answers that you come up with will hopefully give you the motivation you need to keep going when you start to feel burnt out.

Developing a Great Sales Team

If you really want your sales team to be the best they can be, try “leading down.” This essentially involves working closely with every member of your team and finding ways to energize and motivate them. You can do this by helping them play to their greatest strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses. In other words, keep asking them what you can do to help make them more successful.

Meeting Your Supervisor’s Needs

Just as you should “lead down” when working with your own team, you should be “leading up” when working with your supervisor. Much of this involves working on yourself to meet your supervisor’s expectations. Continue to do the work that is always expected of you such as reporting sales and focusing on your key metrics, but meet with your supervisor regularly to find out if there is anything else that you can do to help them and your organization.

For more advice on how to overcome the many challenges, you will face as a sales manager, contact GP Solutions today.