The Exceptional Sales Manager | "Sales Manager" Archive

Title Abuse

by Robert King
for Virginia Business
August 2006

I was reading Drucker the other day and came across an intriguing statement about failed managers. Most of you are familiar with Mr. Drucker and his prolific contributions. For those of you unfamiliar, Peter Drucker is called by the Harvard Business Review the "father of modern management" and a "preeminent business philosopher." His point (paraphrased) was this: many managers fail in their new position because they attempt to execute the new job acting the same way and doing the same things that they were doing in their previous position that perhaps gained for them recognition and propelled them into the new position. However, the new position - a sales manager - may require an entirely different skill set than the previous position. For sales managers this is a critical point that needs further and extensive examination. (I will struggle to do it justice in 700 words.)

When I see the two words "Title Abuse," I can immediately think of a myriad of ways a manager can exploit and mishandle their title. Anything from "The Rules Do Not Apply To Me" to "Don't Do As I Do, Do What I Say…When I Say It…With Gratitude." We have already discussed the power of your influence. Managers, realize that you are always and at all times training your successors. Those who report to you are watching you and learning from you in each and every way.

For our purposes, we will view "Title Abuse" as an oversight by some sales managers that still approach their jobs with the mind of a salesperson.

Successful salespeople are a glory to behold. They are consummate professionals. They glide from day-to-day with continuous direction as if they are sailing to their ultimate destination with a westerly trade wind behind them. By and large, their attitudes are unflappable, their habits are enviable, their relationships are significant, and their results are unparalleled. Good news, bad news: the best salespeople make the worst managers.

When will our CEOs, COOs, HR VPs, and VPs of Sales learn that exceptional salespeople do not beget exceptional sales managers? This is the genesis of title abuse. The mishandling begins with the executive decision that misappropriates the talent in the first place. Still, it is not enough to stop there.

Sales managers, particularly those most recently promoted into management, your position now requires you to man the ship, not to fuel it. The shocking reality is that everything that drove you to where you are today may now be inapplicable and impractical.

Remember the times of self-centeredness: everything revolved around you closing the business. Now you are faced with running a "team." It would be unwise not to adapt your mindset. Recall the customer's every need and your urgency and determination to satiate their need. Now you are held accountable to a new standard: the corporate line. The lines you once crossed unabashedly, now define you.

How about your spending habits and the your willingness to spend the extra buck or two to entertain your client in a certain way. Now, you are challenged with budgets, balancing expenditures, and usually cutting costs. This can be a rude awakening! There was also a cutthroat competitiveness towards contemporaries and the battle for #1. Now you are inclusive of every person and every notion. You find yourself filled with compassionate understanding for people and situations that once irritated and abhorred you.

You were the one who self-actualized. Now, you are the inspiring motivator. Patton, you must move your troops into action. And, finally, before you were the doer and now you are the mentor. Success or failure largely depends on you.

Are you beginning the see the drastic difference between the two? If you are struggling in a sales management position, I encourage you to take an elongated look at your approach. Have you made the shift? The Exceptional Sales Manager respects their title, seeks new ways of excellence, and develops an entirely new skill set that insures effectiveness.

Robert King is president of The King Consortium, founder of Executive Exchange and author of Are You An Exceptional Salesperson? He lives in Midlothian with his wife and two sons. To learn more about The King Consortium, visit: www.thekingconsortium.com.