The Sales Manager's Success Manual

The Hardest Job of All

Considering that their bosses judge sales managers’ performance solely by the bottom line, Chief Sales Officers (CSOs) may be under more pressure than any other corporate executives. Their inability to influence many of the very elements that determine their success or failure makes their jobs even more challenging. Sales managers cannot change their companies’ political or economic climates, they have no sway over executive personnel decisions, and they can’t control the quality or modernity of their company’s products. Even when CEOs make ill-informed policy choices that will adversely affect sales, sales managers are still expected to meet their quotas.

If you are a CSO or sales manager, your success depends on your ability to grapple with these eight elements and the relationships among them:

1. “The salesforce” – Do you have the right people selling your products or services?
2. “The sales environment” – A poor self-image or negative perceptions from outsiders can cripple performance. Create positive energy in your sales department.
3. “Sales controls...