Guest article by Mike MacPherson

Sales is an inherently high pressure, high stress role. Success is almost entirely dictated by numbers, and while there are a multitude of reasons that determine whether people choose to buy or not, salespeople are often left with a huge burden of perceived failure when they’re not meeting targets. For the people working in these roles, they require the strong and effective leadership of management just like any other role. Not only this, but strong leadership is essential to see employee retention and not just a revolving door of new hires. But being in a position of seniority does not automatically equate to leadership. Good leaders are often the ones who have been mentored themselves and learned what motivates them and others to deliver their best work. So what exactly do these leadership attributes look like?

The difference between leading and managing 

Anyone who has had a job of any kind will know there is a stark difference between leading and managing. ‘Manager’ is more task oriented, ‘leader’ is more motivational oriented — it just depends on what the specific role requires. Leaders lead people to think about the bigger picture and encourage them to keep the end goal in mind at all times, while also working on their individual development and goals. Managers, in contrast, are more likely to manage tasks and workloads. But in a role like sales, which can be highly personality driven, sales reps are drawn more to leaders who support them and drive them towards success. While a manager can help define roles and responsibilities, that is only the first step of getting the job done.

Helping people achieve their goals

The difference between a leadership and management mindset is that the latter allocates tasks, while the former sets and goals and drives toward achieving those goals. Leaders help people work from beginning to end so there are no surprises when the desired outcome is different because someone was left alone throughout the process. There’s the saying “You don’t know what you don’t know,” and it really boils down to this. Just because a task is presented to someone, doesn’t mean they have the skills or experience to achieve what is asked. But that’s not to say they are incapable, it simply means they may need guidance and leadership about how to tackle the steps along the way. All it sometimes takes is belief and positive support at the beginning, and before you know it they will be independently thriving in the role.

Identify what motivates people

A good leader is perceptive and strives to understands what drives people. The reality is that even the most cohesive of sales teams are made up of a number of different types of personalities and working styles. For this reason, leadership is never going to be a one size fits all approach. The best leaders engage and work to understand what it is beyond commission that motivates people. Is it giving them a voice? A pat on the back? Flexible hours? Remote work? A leader identifies what the driving factor is and offers a strategy that motivates. Any sales manager in a leadership position that wants their team to perform well simply for the love of the role is not being realistic. Ultimately a sales job is a way to pay the bills, but leaders can help people find a deeper, more fulfilling purpose to the role that allows people to perform at their best.

Getting the best out of people

Leaders want to surround themselves with the best people and help show them how to unlock their best. Not everyone walks into a job with all the skills needed for success but they often have the potential for success. Leaders help unlock that potential by working side by side and coaching individuals on how to achieve success. Leaders acknowledge the small successes along the way which often can create the momentum needed for bigger successes. Leaders want the best for their people and in return they will get the best out of their people. 

Mike MacPherson is the Director of Sales and Marketing for VBO Tickets, a global provider of a Total Ticketing Engagement Solution. They help organizations boost ticket sales with integrated customer relationship management, ticketing, fundraising, merchandise sales, virtual engagement, and marketing solutions.