7 years ago
February 21, 2017

5 Things to Look for in a Sales Leader

In your search for a great sales leader, keep the following five attributes in mind.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter
Claire McConnachie

A good sales leader can make a huge difference to the rest of your team, but finding a responsible, inspiring sales leader can be difficult. In your search for a great sales leader, keep the following five attributes in mind. They’ll pay off enormously in the long run.

1. Visionary Leadership

A good sales leader looks beyond this week’s quota to see the big picture. A visionary outlook for the entire sales team can boost morale, help reps to feel that their work is valuable and rewarding, and keep a sales team’s work and goals in line with the goals of the overall organization.

2. Coaching and Development Skills

A great sales leader does more than just motivate sales reps to make more sales. With excellent coaching and development skills, a sales leader can help sales reps to strengthen their weaknesses and capitalize on their talents. When sales reps feel that their current job is helping them to advance their long-term careers, they’re more motivated and likely to stay where they are and perform their best.

3. The Ability to Motivate

If your sales team has lacked motivation in the past, and most sales teams do from time to time, you need a leader with the ability to motivate. Often, it all comes down to recognition. A leader who takes the time to carefully watch sales reps and notice what they do well will be able to recognize them in a way that feels genuine, sincere, and meaningful. A good sales leader will also have the ability to develop reward programs that help the team to meet its goals.

4. Innovative Use of Metrics

Metrics are important in sales, but a good sales leader will use those metrics in meaningful, innovative ways. Keeping overall goals in mind, a great leader will develop metrics that help sales reps to achieve distant goals. When these smaller goals are reached and measured, sales reps feel successful and motivated to continue on the long march to overarching, organization-wide goals.

5. The Ability to Delegate

It takes a capable person to manage all the various details and responsibilities required of a sales leader, but it takes serious leadership skills to be able to delegate responsibility. The wonderful thing about delegating is that it spreads the stress out until nobody feels it too keenly. At the same time, the rest of your sales reps will feel more important and satisfied with their jobs when they know that everyone on their team is depending on them to accomplish something. A sales leader who can delegate effectively has the ability to create unity and develop leadership skills in each sales rep on the team. 

As you interview for a sales leader position for your organization, look for these five attributes. A person who possesses these attributes will have the ability to make a positive impact on your organization.

Claire McConnachie Recruiter

Claire McConnachie

Claire has 4+ years of experience in sales and recruitment. As a Director of Client Services, her main objective is to connect great people to great companies by building strong relationships with both top clients and candidates in the sales industry. She specializes in sales roles of all seniority levels for both enterprise and start-up clients North American wide. When Claire isn't networking with top talent, she enjoys being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends & family.

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