Every business depends on the success of its sales team and at the helm of every sales team is the sales manager. A top sales manager gives his sales team the tools, skills, and encouragement they need to succeed. While there may not be any secrets or tricks to becoming a top sales manager, they do tend to share a few essential skills, characteristics, and habits. Whether you’re a sales manager looking to develop your skills or you’re a business owner trying to find an effective team leader for your sales organization, here’s how to become a top sales manager.

Offer Support

A top sales manager understands the importance of being approachable and offering support. If a sales rep needs guidance or assistance with a sales-related issue, he should feel comfortable turning to his sales manager for help. As a top sales manager, you have the skills and experience needed to offer sound advice. Let your sales team know that you are an incredible source of knowledge, skills, and experience, and that you are there for them.

Provide Coaching and Training

Coaching is the number one sales management activity that drives sales performance. Whether your sales team consists of seasoned professionals or fresh graduates, everyone can benefit from ongoing sales coaching and training. The purpose of coaching and training is to help each sales rep to improve their performance and reach their true potential. Encourage growth. Help your sales team continue to develop their skills and talents.

The internet is changing the way people buy and sales professionals need to adapt. Introduce your sales team to inbound marketing, content marketing, social selling, and email marketing. Give them the tools and information they need to be successful. A top sales manager knows that effective coaching will improve sales performance, increase engagement, reduce turnover, and improve job satisfaction.

Set Goals

A top sales manager sets goals and communicates them to his team. When there aren’t any clear goals in place, sales people can lose focus and under deliver. Sales goals give your sales team something to strive for and gives you, the sales manager, a way to monitor and assess everyone’s progress. Make sure these goals are realistic. If it’s totally unrealistic and impossible for anyone to achieve, no one will take your targets seriously and the whole purpose is defeated. Also, it’s important that you pay attention to your team’s progress throughout the sales process, so you can offer support when they need it most.

Recognize and Acknowledge Successes

Practice positive reinforcement by recognizing and acknowledging successes. A top sales manager always shows appreciation by congratulating a sales rep who does well. If achievements go unnoticed, your sales team can eventually feel defeated and discouraged. Implement an incentive program to motivate your sales team and reward those who do well. You don’t necessarily have to give monetary rewards if you aren’t in a position to do so. Consider buying them lunch, giving them an extra vacation day, or giving them Friday afternoon off.

A top sales manager supports his team and provides ongoing sales coaching and training. He encourages growth and looks for ways to further develop his sales team’s talents. A top sales manager sets goals and helps his sales reps achieve them. He recognizes and acknowledges successes and shows that he appreciates and values hard work.