Sales Manager's Test

Here's a sample from
the "15 Biggest Mistakes" report:

Rule 7: Do they identify enough of the customer's buying criteria before they present.

Studies show that the more buying criteria on the customer's mind, the less important is any single one (such as price) is to the purchasing decision.

Here's a sample from
the "10 Biggest Mistakes" report:

Rule 7: Failure of the 80/20 rule:Spending 80% of your time with the bottom 20% of the sales people.

(key: Spend time with the middle group, "emerging contributors")

Sales Manager's Test

	Test Your Sales Management Skills Consider your working relationship with your team, and grade yourself by answering the following questions.
	Legend:	1 - Never	2 - Rarely	3 - Sometimes	4 - Often	5 - Usually	6 - Always


	1. You understand what skills, knowledge and competencies are needed for effective leadership.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	2. You know how to apply the right leadership competency, at the right time, to the right situation.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	3. You understand and have created plans to improve your salespeople's individual development needs.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	4. You show interest in each salesperson's future by meeting regularly with him/her to review job behaviors, activities and results.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	5. Your salespeople can easily see a 3-4 year opportunity in your company.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	6. All salespeople understand the responsibilities of their job descriptions.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	7. If any salesperson exhibits less than acceptable behavior, activity or results, you take appropriate and timely action to "address" the discrepancy with him-her.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	8. When your company introduces a change initiative, you support the company position, and help your employees understand and implement the change.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	9. You listen to your salespeople and acknowledge their point of view.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	10. You encourage all departments and employees to work together as a team.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	11. You use the appropriate amounts of positive reinforcement and positive corrective feedback.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	12. In problem situations, you expect employee planning, action, and responsibility acceptance.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	13. Your salespeople respect you as a mentor, teacher and coach.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	14. When an employee doesn't achieve his/her desired results, you ask for his/her thoughts, makes suggestions and help the employee create a game-plan.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	15. When confronted with a "fire" that needs to be extinguished, you respond in such a way that if a similar "fire" occurs again, your team-members will be more capable of extinguishing it before it gets to you.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	16. Managers use appropriate confrontation in a positive manner when needed.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	17. You have a consistent recruiting plan that includes pre-determined hiring criteria, and you use appropriate pre-determined selection questions that reveal applicants' strengths and weaknesses.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	18. You focus on activities that are high in growing your people and growing the business.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	19. You continually connect your salespeople to the strategic direction of the enterprise.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	20. You understand each team-members' individual motivations.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

	21. You recognize salespeople's achievements with appropriate appreciation.
		1	2	3	4	5	6

22. You support and teach the company's sales process/model.
	1	2	3	4	5	6

Test Your Sales Management Skills