Bridging the Gap

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. ~ John Buchan

Sales teams occupy an uneasy position in most companies. Leadership sets aggressive revenue targets that the sales staff works to achieve. However, upper management tends to view sales solely as bottom-line results often missing how salespeople have to build relationships in order to earn the trust of loyal customers.

The sales manager's role is to "bridge the gap" between these groups. They must both motivate sales staff toward better performance but, also take a stand towards the executive leadership team. This demands adapting fluidly between very different views.

The Trouble From Not Connecting

Without good sales leaders, front-line sales staff and top execs often clash:

• Salespeople get frustrated when execs seem clueless about customers and complex deals.
• Execs question sales priorities when revenue falls short despite lots of prospects.
• Leaders see salespeople as selfish and fighting things like cost controls.

These tensions boil over in many companies. Sales leaders must continually reframe reality through opposing lenses – explaining customer scenarios to executives while representing management imperatives to staff. This interpretation cycle promotes alignment.

Principles to Bridge the Gap

Great sales managers connect staff and leadership by:

• Credibility on both sides – Gain trust through empathy and advocating needs.
• Insight on constraints – Identify limits both sides face and promote understanding what others deal with.
• Clear communicator – Rephrase charged messages to ease tensions and simplify issues without losing meaning.

These skills let sales leaders swing between different viewpoints in the company. This helps sales staff and execs coordinate better for good sales results..

Ways to Bridge the Gap

Some specific steps empower sales managers to connect sales staff and leadership:

• Open door to all – Welcome salespeople and execs to share ideas and concerns. Ask both sides for input.
• Report both ways – Give execs regular updates on top customer insights and give staff data on results.
• Defend budget needs – Fight for sales staff resources while conveying required compromises. Relate all moves to better customer experiences.

Bridging the gap between sales staff and leadership prevents wasted effort from not being on the same page. It powers growth with aligned priorities. Great sales leaders become the indispensable link facilitating company coordination.

Some disconnect will always exist between execs focused narrowly on revenue numbers and salespeople building customer relations. But sales managers who reframe truth for different audiences build understanding. This vital role unlocks sales results critical for every company.

Join me Monday March 4th 9:30am EST for a Linkedin Audio event on how to

Strategy That Turns Sales Rebels Into Rock Stars

https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/strategythatturnssalesrebelsint7163171985227763713/