Journal of Selling & Major Account Management
In Part One, participants were asked to review the list
those
development
methods
that
present
at
of the top (20) practices and identify and select those
least a thirty percent (30%) gap, five of the top ten
practices that they considered to be most important to
developmental
areas fall within a category of general
their development and improvement as a sale manager.
training and career development. Accounting for the
After completing Part One, participants were asked
to complete Part Two which asked them to identify
largest aggregate developmental gap are the following'
the development
mentoring by senior managers (44~), "buddy systems"/
practices
that their organizations
methods: formal career planning discussions
(52%),
were effectively employing at present to actually help
improve their performance.
peer mentoring
The completed questionnaires were then tabulated and
General training and career d~velopment gaps. Training
frequency counts were then tallied for responses to both
and development for sales managers is just as critical
parts and difference scores were calculated.
Table 1
(33%), challenging
job assignments
(31 %), and purposeful cross-training experiences (30%).
as it is for salespeople. This is because, in many small/
contains the responses to both parts ranked by difference
medium size firms, the manager is the trainer. Sales
scores between what practices sales managers want to
managers need to be equipped to be a "model" for their
improve their performance and what their organizations
salesforce - especially when it comes to demonstrating
are actually providing. T-tests were conducted to identify
selling skills, tactics, and strategies. Managers must be
statistically
at the .05 level
given the tools to effectively set such an example. Case in
between the number of methods participants wanted to
point, every year Selling Power magazine (2001 - 2007)
experience and the number of practices actually being
publishes a list of the "50 Best Companies to Sell For"
significant
differences
effectively employed by their organizations.
in the manufacturing and services industries. One of the -
We will now discuss these findings and provide lessons
for those interested in in improving
sales manager
performance with an eye on learning how to best utilize
organizational resources to provide the biggest ROI.
criteria required to make this list is the time a company
invests in training its salesforce - both salespeople and
sales managers. Companies like Hormell, Abbott Labs,
Microsoft, IBM, 3M, and General Electric consistently
top the list (Tanner Jr et al., 2009). These companies
What Are the Development Needs of Sales Managers
have demonstrated
and What Are They Actually Getting?
development of sales personnel at all levels.
The findings from the sales management
assessment
a commitment
to training
and
Evaluation, feedback, and coaching gaps. Evaluation,
allow us to address our research objectives. A survey of
feedback, and coaching .developmental methods make
current sales management textbooks (Hair Jr et al., 2009;
up the next largest aggregate
Ingram, Laforge, & Avila, 2009; Tanner Jr, Honeycutt
include the following methods: 360-degree feedback
Jr, & Erffmeyer, 2009) reveals that sales managers
systems
are expected to proficiently
execute the following
'reviews (42%), clarifying roles, goals, and expectations
tasks: personnel
and selection,
(39%), ongoing measurement, feedback, and coaching
recruitment
training
(45%),
effective
gap category. These
performance
appraisals/
and development, motivation, supervision, evaluation!
(32%). It should be no surprise that this aggregate
feedback/coaching,
category of development methods is highly sought by
performance
management,
and
general leadership. In order to be able to fulfill these
expectations some degree of their own skill development
is required. However, it is apparent from our results,
that major gaps exists (between what sales managers
consider most important areas of their own development
and what
development
opportunities
they actually
receive) From the results (see Table 1), it would seem
that the biggest gaps lie in the categories of training!
development and evaluation!feedback/coaching.
66
I
For
sales managers.
Understanding how to effectively coach salespeopl~ can
provide direct benefits to the sales organization in the
way of salesforce productivity and efficiency (Ingram
et al., 2009). For example, firms like Pfizer Inc. equip
their sales managers with the necessary skills to provide
salespeople feedback and coaching after each call that
is observed. Once a month, sales managers accompany
their reps on a sales call. After the call, managers
Northern Illinois University
Volume 13, Number 2
Table 1:
SALES MANAGEMENT
DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT
(Ranked by Difference Score)
,
Sales Management
Development
Method
Most
Actually
Important
Used
Difference
Formal career planning discussions
,
0
360 feedback systems
68%
16%
52%*
57%
12%
45%*
Being mentored by senior managers/sales people
60%
16%
44%*
Effective performance appraisals and reviews
74%
32%
42%*
Clarifying roles, goals and performance expectatioris
81%
42%
39%*
Career development "buddy systems" /"peer mentoring"
44%
11%
33%*
Ongoing measurement, feedback and coaching
66%
34%
32%*
Challenging/difficult
job assignments
71%
40%
31%*
Purposeful cross-training experiences
44%
14%
30%*
Mentoring junior sales people
37%
11%
26%*
Involvement with professional associations/affiliations
58%
39%
19%*
In-house seminars and workshops
50%
35%
15%*
Serving as an internal trainer/facilitator
20%
9%
11%*
Outside seminars and workshops
39%
31%
) 8%
Visiting other departments/organizations/facilities
17%
14%
3%
Outside reading assignments, videos, and audio tapes
12%
15%
(-3%)
Access to additional computer technology and networks
39%
43%
(-4%)
Increased contact with external/internal
44%
51%
(-7%)
Special assignments to task forces, problem-solvingteams.
35%
44%
(-9%)
Pursuing additional college education
11%
21%
. (-10%)*
customers
,
Note: *Statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level. n=209 sales managers
provide suggestions for improvement (i.e., constructive
provide sales manager with the opportunity to impact
feedback) along with positive feedback in areas such
as selling skills, product knowledge, and general call
salesperson moral and motivation, identify salespeople
who might be promoted or require closer supervision,
strategy (Birkner, 2000). In addition, conducting regular
communicate sales goals and expectations, and improve
and systematic
overall salesperson performance (Ingram et al., 2009).
salesperson
performance
evaluations
67
I
Journal of Selling & Major Account Management
So Why Are There Training and Development Gaps?
We can begin to speculate as to why gaps exists between
what sales managers consider most important to their
development and what (developmental
opportunities)
they are actually receiving. For one, training is time
consuming and costly. Senior managers may be reluctant
to channel the time and effort of their sales' managers
away from managing the salesforce. However, it is a
fallacy that taking a sales manager out of their role for a
period of time will cost the organization more than it will
benefit. Research shows that some of the- desirable traits
that salespeople seek in a sales leader are competence,
This study demonstrates
that sales managers
are interested in clear role definition, goals, and
performance expectations. In essence, sales managers
want to understand how to be successful in an everchanging
business
climate.
The
are interested
in
career development and seek professional development
opportunities throughmentoring
Sales managers
embrace
and career guidance.
a formalized
appraisal process that established
success
and
individualized
performance
key guidelines for
development
plans
to
improve performance.
Based on a clear understanding
that trammg
and
frequency of feedback, and communication effectiveness
development gaps exist between what sales managers
(Ingram et al., 2009; TannerJr et aI., 2009). Without the
feel are important and what development opportunities
investment to develop these important sales management
they receive, senior sales executives can take action to
skills, salespeople may become frustrated, demotivated,
address these deficiencies.
and are likely to underperform or quit.
communication of training and development needs from
A logical first step would be to annually review sales
management training needs and satisfaction with
existingprograms. The tool developed and used for this
sales managers to their superiors. Fear of confessing to a
study could be a starting point for firms to tailor to their
skill deficiency, denial that development in a particular area
own specific organizational
is needed, and/or unwillingness to invest the time to learn
Ranking the development and training needs of sales
A second reason for the gapes) may be due to poor
structure and operations.
(or improve on) skills, are just a few of the reasons that
managers would provide a prioritization for senior sales
a sales management may be reluctant to suggest that he/
executives to budget funds and allocate time for training
she needs more training or development. In his book "The
in the coming fiscal year.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," Steven Covey
(1989) suggests that personal skill development is one
of most important behaviors that an individual can invest
their time to ensure continual growth and improvement. It
may seem circular reasoning, but a useful developmental
exercise for both sales managers and senior sales leaders
would be to better understand the benefits of training
and development for managers, assess the needs at the
individual sales. manager level, and invest in programs
Second, measure the content, quality, and effectiveness
of training activities. To ensure that sales mana~ers
are satisfied with the quality
receive, each training program
evaluation
of program
effectiveness,
instruction,
they
should end with an
quality,
and logistics coordination
location, etc.). Evaluation
instructor
(method of
and feedback
from managers should be carefully analyzed to make
future adjustments
designed to fill (developmental) gaps that exist.
content
of the training
and improvements
to maximize
overall future program effectiveness.
What Can Senior Sales Executives Do About This?
Sales
executive
should
placed on sales managers
business environment.
recognize
the
pressures
by the rapidly changing
Sales managers encounter an
increasing competitive environment, an ever-changing
Third, create a training and development culture.
Promote the importance of individual development by
creating a position that focuses on sales m~nagement
development at the firm sales organization level (e.g.,
a "training czar") to coordinate, schedule, and provide
workforce, new technology, cultural diversity; and a
logistics for corporate wide sales manager training and
global marketplace.
development sessions.
Organizations
can increase the
effectiveness of their sales managers by accessing the
training and development gaps that exist.
68
Fourth, incorporate individual development plans into
theannual performance appraisal. Given the importance
Northern Illinois University
I
Volume 13, Number 2
of ongoing training and development of sales managers
As we enter the second decade of the new millennium,
to the overall effectiveness of the sales organization,
sales managers will continually be faced with fresh
program participation and engagement should be a part
challenges.
of the sales manager's
internationally, motivating selling teams across multiple
performance
evaluation. This
Developing
relationships
with customers
could be accomplished by communicating expectations
(at the beginning of the evaluation period) that sales
channels (inside, outside, agency sales, to.emention a
managers spend a required number of days in formal
degrees are but a few of the ways sales managers will
training and development programs. Part of the sales
need to adapt to the changing needs of the salesforce
manager's evaluation (rating, ranking, etc.) should be
and marketplace.
based on attaining the agreed upon goal of training and
be the instrumental cog in the performance
few), and evaluation/feedback
today's
development time.
methods that span 360
If sales managers
high-pressure
selling
are expected to
environment,
wheel of
senior
managers much provide them with the development
Finally, carefully monitor the use of seminars
workshops
as primary development
and
vehicles. While
and training tools they need to be able to "walk the
walk" of salesforce effectiveness.
seminars and workshops are popular training solutions,
they may only be the first step in a development
program, An emphasis should be placed on "active"
learning activities such as career development buddy
systems and peer mentoring. By addressing the sales
managers.development
gap the entire organization has
the potential to benefit from improved effectiveness.
Conclusion
Given the important role of the sales manager in planning,
developing, managing, and evaluating salespeople, it is
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relationships
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