Are you still micromanaging every aspect of your business, including sales? That’s a risky move, and it might be time to hire a sales manager.
When you first open your business, you know you’re going to be doing most of the work. Before you can grow your team, you need to focus on the daily tasks and the big picture… And there’s nothing wrong with that – at first.
If you keep at it long enough, however, it becomes a habit. It can be hard to let go of having a finger in every pie, and if you don’t stop at the right time, you can end up micromanaging everything.
This is bad for you, as well as your team. You won’t have the time you need to focus on critical issues or goals, and you can lose sight of the big picture if you spend your energy on managing every detail.
This situation comes up particularly often in sales. Business owners try to oversee everything in the sales department when it’s a better idea to hire a sales manager instead.
For one thing, a good sales manager is an expert. Keep in mind that starting a business and talking to a few clients doesn’t make you one.
And there’s another problem… Once you grow your company, you can’t physically juggle as many sales meetings. Ideally, you’ll get so many prospects that it’s impossible to meet and please all of them. In trying to do so, you can end up neglecting other parts of your business.
So, how do you know if it’s time to hire a sales manager?
Here are some of the telltale signs that you need to drop your sales involvement and focus on finding sales managers instead.
Sign #1 – Business Development Has Slowed Down
You should start finding sales managers when business begins to slow down.
Are you having trouble focusing on development and growth because you’re wasting time on sales tasks? Then it’s time to get out of your own way.
As a business owner, you can’t remain the primary sales manager for too long. Your goal in the long run is to focus on strategic development. It will help if you concentrate on a plan to grow your business through other channels than sales.
Speaking of business growth…
Sign #2 – You’re Starting a New Phase of Growth
Let’s say that you’re entering a new phase of growth… You’re getting more and more prospects, and perhaps there are already signs that you can’t handle the influx of meetings.
As an owner, you have other daily operations (and bigger strategies) to consider. It might be time to find a new sales manager to lighten the load.
There are two advantages to hiring a manager. First of all, it allows you to delegate significant work to a person with experience in the field, assigning some of your tasks to someone you trust to get the job done.
Second, a sales manager doesn’t have to worry about the same things you do. They can concentrate directly on sales. This means that you’ll have time to do what you need to grow the business.
It’s an excellent way to avoid stagnation, especially when things are beginning to pick up.
Sign #3 – Your Work Quality Suffers
Joshua Watson, CEO of Iron Rock Software, struggled for weeks to manage everything. He stayed up until 2am for weeks in a row to meet client demands, and from that experience, he drew a simple conclusion:
“When quality of service started to slip, and clients had to wait longer and longer for projects, I knew I needed help.”
When you have too much on your plate, it’s hard to do everything perfectly. If your performance isn’t up to standard, work quality suffers. Your reputation suffers, and your clients can tell that something is wrong.
At this point, you might want to consider getting a sales manager.
Once you can hand off sales to someone you trust, you can get back to raising the bar of service. You can apply yourself to delivering on your promises and maintaining high standards. More importantly, you’re less likely to make mistakes that may cost you clients and revenue.
Sign #4 – You Feel Overworked
Do you feel more tired each day? If you try to micromanage and handle everything, you can overwork yourself. When you’re too tired, it’s not just your work that suffers – you lose the ability to relax and have a personal life too.
Spending twelve hours a day or more in the office is not good for you… Or your business, if it comes to that.
Fatigue and feeling overworked are two more signs that you might want to think about finding sales managers to add to your team.
Sign #5 – The Numbers Can’t Seem to Go Up
Here’s another reason you might need a sales manager, though you might not want to admit it. What if you manage to sustain, but you’re not thriving?
Even if you’re not overworked, if business is fine but not great… What do you do?
Do you press forward at the same rate, hoping things will turn around?
Or you could try the alternative…
Consider the fact that someone else might do a better job in sales. If you know people who perform better in that department, it’s time for a change. A sales manager’s job isn’t just to take things off your plate, it’s also to use their expertise to boost your sales numbers.
You can’t grow the business on your own, and there’s no shame in using expert help. All the big companies do it.
Work Smarter and Fill the Key Roles in Your Company with the Right People
It’s incredibly important to have at least one great sales manager, depending on the size of your company. As a business owner, you have to worry about many more pressing issues and growth strategies.
Micromanaging (or even managing) sales shouldn’t be a priority for you. You can leave that up to the experts and clear your mind of one big distraction. It may seem scary at first, but once you reap the benefits, you won’t want to make the same mistake again.
About the Author:
CHARLES GAUDET
