Branded merch sales leaders don’t become excellent by chance. They build habits and work on skills that help them win consistently. They become coachable and stay curious. They show resilience, even when things get tough. And they follow through — they do what they say they’re going to do.

The good news, according to Force Management’s Kim Bastian, is that anyone can become a top performer and a top leader. They just need to learn and practice a few specific things. We share more from Bastian in this issue of PromoPro Daily. Read on to learn 5 areas you can work on to improve your leadership and help the up-and-coming sales leaders on your team.

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  1. Always be coaching. Regardless of their sales experience, Bastian says great sales managers must learn to become great coaches. Like any sport, sales leaders need to teach skills and help people call the right play. Many new front-line sales managers land in this role because they were once an all-star seller. Unfortunately, top-of-the-line sales skills don’t guarantee success in coaching others. She says it’s important to help your managers shift their definition of success. It’s not about them as individual performers but leaders of a team. Coach your coaches to make an impact on rep development and growth.

  2. Focus on support versus inspection. According to Bastian, sales leaders become exceptional by becoming laser-focused on teaching reps how to qualify great deals. Then, these leaders maniacally focus on coaching sellers through the deal to success. To develop great front-line managers, it’s critical that companies give them the opportunity to become masters of a coaching environment.

  3. Create value with each rep interaction. Elite managers understand the opportunity they have to teach their reps something with every interaction. Bastian says every conversation with a rep should deliver something of value to drive the next deal, to understand a new approach and/or to encourage a new skill. She recommends helping your managers focus on this concept. 

  4. Move deals forward. When sales managers focus specifically on helping their reps qualify great deals, Bastian says every deal moves forward with more clarity throughout the sales process and every rep becomes better at doing what they do. Shey advises providing your managers with a cadence that allows them to stay aligned with their sellers throughout the sales process of each deal, providing support when necessary. 

  5. Build repeatable sales skills. Good selling is good selling, Bastian says. The more front-line managers can coach reps on how to repeatedly execute the fundamentals of good selling, the more reps will be able to make an impact in every deal, using those skills. As sellers begin to master skills, great managers shift from “teach mode” to “reinforce mode” on that particular skill. Then, over time, they move that seller towards mastering a new skill at a higher level — then, rinse and repeat. 

Consider how you can work on the characteristics above, like helping new leaders through challenging scenarios or providing a useful tip in every interaction. The best sales leaders aren’t just born with natural talent — they keep the right mindset and aim for consistency every day.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Kim Bastian is the vice president of brand and marketing at Force Management.