By Jillian Eyl (@MsBiz_Chicago)
When faced with a choice between investing in a front-line sales manager or a new sales rep, most VPs will opt for the sales rep. They think that picking the sales rep has more immediate and tangible effects to their bottom line—and they’re right. Kind of.
What they may not understand is that investing in frontline sales managers has more beneficial long-term effects for your business—whether by training an existing one or hiring a better replacement.
Here’s how:
Great management = great team performance
When you invest in a sales rep, you get a jump in one person’s performance. However, an FSM, with proper coaching, mentorship, and management skills, will be able to push their team to greater heights. You get better performance from an entire group of sales reps for the price of one person.
Effective FSMs unlock scalable sales team growth
What happens when you invest in a single star sales rep, and he or she leaves after a year? You’re stuck with the same poor team you had before. Even if the star stays, your investment will affect only one person and no one else. Your star has turned into a crutch.
However, investing in an FSM allows your team to scale effectively as operations grow. Now this single person is driving the growth of an entire group, which has a more significant impact on your bottom line, is more sustainable, and can maintain quality as team size expands.
They align corporate strategy and day-to-day sales operations
FSMs are the border where management and front line sales operations meet. They are in the perfect place to translate your high-level corporate strategy into ground-level operations. If you’re trying to break into a new market, for example, it’s the FSMs who will influence the sales team on which products to focus on, which leads to approach, and what tactics they should employ.
If you don’t take the time to develop effective front-line sales managers, sales will perform poorly or stagnate no matter what strategic direction you choose. Sales reps will continue to go in their own direction or languish in their own mediocrity. But if you do invest in FSMs, you set the stage for sustainable and scalable sales growth.
For more on how your sales teams can gain greater revenue attainment, check out our CSO Insights: Sales Enablement Optimization Study.
The post 3 Convincing Reasons VPs Should Invest in Frontline Sales Managers (FSM) appeared first on SAVO Sales Enablement.