Manage Smarter 160 — Kevin F. Davis — How and Why Sales Managers Fail

HOSTED BY C. LEE SMITH AND AUDREY STRONG
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Kevin F. Davis is the founder and president of TopLine Leadership. Over the past 25 years, more than 20,000 sales managers from many of the world’s most successful companies have attended his 2‑day workshop on sales management leadership.

Kevin is the author of three books: Getting Into Your Customer’s Head; Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand your customer’s buying process and maximize your sales; and The Sales Manager’s Guide to Greatness: 10 essential strategies for leading your team to the top. 

In this episode, Audrey, Lee and Kevin F. Davis discuss:

The Overlooked Needs of Sales Managers

Kevin Davis highlights the shift in the dynamics of sales management, emphasizing the effectiveness of virtual online courses for smaller groups of managers. This change has made specialized training more accessible and relevant for sales managers who may have been overlooked in the past. 

He emphasizes the talent and commitment of sales managers, acknowledging the difficulty of their role and the high expectations they face. This highlights the need for specialized training tailored to the unique challenges of sales management.

The Disparity in Sales Management Training

Sales managers often lack formal sales management education, despite being trained to excel as salespeople. This disparity in training highlights the need for specialized programs that address the distinct skillset required for sales management.

General management courses provided by HR may not adequately cover the specific challenges and responsibilities that sales managers face. This further emphasizes the need for targeted training programs that focus on sales management skills.

The Importance of Coaching in Sales Management

Kevin Davis stresses the significance of coaching in sales management, highlighting the need for training that covers essential aspects such as funnel coaching, pipeline management, and one-​on-​one performance reviews.

By prioritizing coaching on the buyer's actions and focusing on the early parts of the sales process, sales managers can better align with the buyer's journey and improve their team's overall performance.

“Most leaders have a mindset that they are doing everything right. So when things go wrong, instead of looking at themselves, they blame others. I’ve seen this a lot with sales managers. Unfortunately, this attitude bleeds over to the sales rep.”

Kevin F. Davis

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