What the best sales managers do differently: report

Top-performing sales Managers are 71 per cent more likely to be effective at motivating sellers for high productivity and performance according to a report from sales training company RAIN Group.  

 The Top-Performing Sales Manager report led by the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, the team of analysts examined responses from over 1,000 sales managers and sellers globally with a focus on the role of the sales manager and how they can best support their teams. 

“In prior research, we found that sales management and coaching is a key area where top-performing sales organizations are drastically different from other organizations,” shared Mary Flaherty, vice president of research at RAIN Group. “We wanted to dive deeper into this and uncover specifics around what the best sales managers and coaches do, how they work with sellers, what skills they have, and more.”

The study also revealed that Top-Performing Sales Managers are:

• 67% more likely to be confident in their ability to help their sellers achieve strong sales performance.
• 42% more likely to hire sellers who become Top Performers.
• 41% more likely to be skilled in helping sellers build meaningful goals and action plans.
• 52% more likely to excel at planning and analyzing how sellers should manage their pipelines.

A sample of other findings uncovered include:

• Sellers are 63% more likely to be a Top Performer with an effective manager, regular coaching, and effective sales training. Take one away and their odds of being a top performer drop considerably. 
• Sellers with less than five years’ experience are 240% more likely to be Top Performers when they have an effective sales manager. This has huge implications for organizations hiring sales talent.
• Top-Performing Sellers are 63% more likely to report their manager excels at providing deal coaching to maximize wins.
• Top Performing Sellers are 51% more likely to have regular ongoing coaching and 40% more likely to have a manager skilled at leading valuable coaching meetings.
• The average win rate on proposed sales reported by sellers and sales managers is dramatically higher for Top Performers (72%) compared to The Rest (47%).

Flaherty said the report shares key insights that can help sales managers focus on the skills, behaviors, and roles that are necessary to achieve greater success.

“There is a great difference in win rate and a significant business impact for teams with top-performing sales managers.”

Download the full report and findings here: https://hubs.li/Q01cL7ng0