The Sales Boss. Whistman Jonathan

the need to remind the salesperson of the coaching, correction, and advice that was necessary to make sure the deal closed. They simply praise the result.

      4. They have balanced analytical minds

      What do I mean by this? They aren’t afraid of spreadsheets and data, but they also don’t live and die by them. They realize the importance of gut feel and can act on it, but don’t take umbrage when the data tells them they should make a course correction. They also are intellectually curious and use data to inform their opinions and theories. The key here is that there are no extremes. They understand the financial and other numerical factors that drive results and have the ability to translate this data into leading indicators that predict future performance or inform the actions that are necessary to drive results. At the same time, they have the ability to shut off the data processing side of their minds and settle into a persona that values the human side of the equation. This balance contributes to outstanding results.

      5. They inspire loyalty and can hold the attention of a room

      Great sales managers have an impact on a group of people. They can inspire loyalty from others, are naturally respected, and are viewed as leaders. Sometimes people will do what is asked simply because of the loyalty they feel for their manager. The sales manager must be well-spoken and seem comfortable in front of a roomful of people. This quality really divides the Sales Boss from the rest of the crowd! Sales managers host sales meetings, trainings, and phone calls, and in many cases participate in sales calls with your largest customers. They need to be able to hold a room better than most people can. Sales Bosses speak and present from the heart and from a place of authenticity, and these qualities will inspire loyalty.

      6. They are comfortable sitting in judgment

      Some people have a hard time sitting in judgment of others. A Sales Boss must excel at it. Daily, Sales Bosses make judgments about the performance, mindsets, and abilities of the people on their teams, and they won’t always have a lot of data to back up their opinions. Sales Bosses can be humble and servant leaders to their groups, but they will also need to be able to set standards and then sit in judgment as to whether those standards are being met or not. They must be comfortable expressing directly to the salesperson or another employee what standard is not being met and what changes are required. Someone who is not comfortable doing this will ultimately fail in managing a sales team. Notice that I say they must be comfortable. I didn’t say they should love sitting in judgment or seek out the role! Remember, they don’t feed their egos. They simply do not let a standard go unmet without judgment and the appropriate coaching, mentoring, or action being taken in response. If your habit is to revert to email for uncomfortable conversations, then you aren’t fit to be a Sales Boss.