sales leadership, management, and supervision module seven

Sales Leadership, Management, and Supervision

Sales Leadership, Management, and Supervision

Module Seven

Ingram LaForge Avila

Schwepker Jr. WilliamsProfessional Selling:A Trust-Based Approach

Module 7:Sales Leadership, Management, and Supervision

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

1. Distinguish between salesforce leadership, management, and supervision.

2. Explain how the LMX model and leadership style approaches contribute to contemporary sales leadership.

3. List of the six components of the sales leadership model.

4. Discuss five bases of power that affect leadership.




Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

5. Explain five influential strategies used in leadership.

6. Discuss issues related to coaching the salesforce, holding integrative meetings, and practicing ethical management.

7. Identify some of the problems encountered in leading and supervising a salesforce.




Setting the StageSetting the Stage

1. What is the part of SAP’s mission statement mentioned in the vignette?

2. How does Bill McDermott build the best possible sales team?

Sales Leadership: SAP America




Sales Leadership, Sales Management, and Sales Supervision

Sales Leadership, Sales Management, and Sales Supervision

Sales Leadership:The ability to influence others to achieve common goals for the collective good of the sales organization and company.

Sales Management:Activities related to the planning, implementing, and controlling the sales function.

Sales Supervision:Activities related to working with sales subordinates on a day-to-day basis.




Contemporary Views ofSales Leadership

Contemporary Views ofSales Leadership

• Leadership Style– Transactional leadership– Transformational Leadership

• Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Model– Leadership style is unique for each

salesperson




SituationTime ConstraintsNature of TasksHistory and Norms

NeedsSalespeopleOther People

LeadershipSkillsAnticipationDiagnosticSelectionCommunication- Influence Strategy- Communications Mechanisms

PowerSalespeopleOther People

PowerSales Manager

Goals &ObjectivesIndividualOrganizational

SalesManager’sLeadership

Effectiveness

Leadership Model for Sales Management Leadership Model for Sales Management




Power and Leadership Power and Leadership

Referent Power

Legitimate Power

Reward Power

Coercive Power

Expert Power

Five types of power which may be present in interpersonal relationships:




• Trait Approach – identify traits of an effective leader

• Behavior Approach – identify behaviors associated with effective leadership

• Contingency Approach – leadership style is contingent upon situation

Situational FactorsSituational Factors




• Important when coercive power is not being utilized

• Realize all needs and wants cannot be met

• Not all leadership directives need to be based on needs and wants

• Consider each salesperson as a unique individual

Needs and Wants of SalespeopleNeeds and Wants of Salespeople




• Leadership is easier when personal goals and objectives of the salespeople are consistent with those of the organization.

• Sales managers strive to seek balance and consistency between organizational goals and their salespeople’s goals.

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives




• Anticipating and Seeking Feedback

• Diagnostic

• Selection and Matching

• Communication

Leadership SkillsLeadership Skills




Communication Skills:Influence Strategies

Communication Skills:Influence Strategies

• Threats (coercive power)

• Promises (reward power)

• Persuasion (expert or referent power)

• Relationships (referent or legitimate power)

• Manipulation




• Take a we approach• Address only one or two problems at a time• Don’t focus on criticizing poor performance, reinforce good

performance• Foster involvement• Recognize differences in salespeople and coach accordingly• Coordinate coaching with more formal sales training• Encourage continual growth and improvement• Insist salespeople evaluate themselves• Obtain agreement with respect to punishments and rewards• Keep good records

CoachingCoaching

Coaching is the continuous development of salespeople through supervisory feedback and role modeling. Suggestions for effective coaching include:




Planning and ConductingIntegrative Meetings


• Keep technical presentations succinct

• Use visual aids and breakout discussion groups

• Keep salespeople informed of corporate strategy and their role in it

• Minimize operations review






• Set a humane schedule . . . allow time for sharing and adequate breaks

• Set and communicate the agenda

• Ask for input from the salespeople

• Generate excitement with contests and other rewards




Approaches to Management EthicsApproaches to Management Ethics

Immoral Management– Intentional and consistent management activity

conflicting with what is moral (ethical).

– Exploits opportunities for corporate gain. Cut corners when it appears useful.

– Seeks profitability and organizational success at any price.

– Selfish. Management cares only about its or the company’s gain.





Amoral Management– Management activity that is neither consistently moral

or immoral . . . Decisions lie outside the sphere to which moral judgments apply.

– Give managers free rein. Personal ethics may apply but only if managers choose. Respond to legal mandates if caught and required to do so.

– Seeks profitability. Other goals are not considered.

– Well-Intentioned but selfish in the sense that impact on others is not considered.





Moral Management– Management activity conforms to a standard of ethical

or moral behavior.

– Live by sound ethical standards. Assume leadership position when ethical dilemmas arise. Enlightened self-interest.

– Seeks profitability within the confines of legal obedience and ethical standards

– Management wants to succeed but only within the confines of sound ethical precepts.




Meeting Ethical andMoral ResponsibilitiesMeeting Ethical and

Moral Responsibilities

Sales managers should be aware of three particularly relevant types of unethical acts:

1. Nonrole

2. Role Failure

3. Role Distortion






Nonrole Against the firm• Expense account cheating• Embezzlement• Stealing supplies

Type Direct Effect Examples

Role Failure Against the firm

• Superficial performance appraisal

• Not confronting expense account cheating

• Palming off a poor performer with inflated praise




Type Direct Effect Examples



Role Distortion For the firm• Bribery• Price fixing• Manipulation of suppliers




Problems in LeadershipProblems in Leadership

• Conflicts of Interest• Chemical Abuse and Dependency• Problem Salespeople

– Lone Wolf – Corporate Citizens– Apathetics

• Termination of Employment• Sexual Harassment

sales leadership, management, and supervision module seven

Documents

sales leadership model

contemporary sales leadership

sales management slide

salesforce leadership

sales organization

sales subordinates

sales function

supervision power