The success of a CEO has a lot to do with the performance of their Chief Marketing Officer, Manager of Sales or other executive who heads the sales force. Traditionally, sales managers have been successful salespeople.
It seems obvious that their history of being able to win opportunities and close business would naturally help them in a sales manager role.
However, the transition to a sales manager requires a change in mindset and an understanding that their role has shifted to facilitating the success of their sales team.
The mindset of leading, investing, and coaching is embedded in every great CEO. We interviewed partners from Newport Board Group with experience in various industries and types of companies. Read on and listen to valuable insight for CEOs and sales managers alike.
Harold Grossnickle: Harold has a record of building lucrative enterprises, taking start-ups to the next level of growth, leading sales teams to significant competitive sales wins, and turning around troubled companies in telecom/technology and related sectors.
“Measure results of each salesperson and sales channel, and commit to achieving results - and then raising the bar to support higher corporate goals.”
Jack Donahue: Jack is a strategic CFO with experience in public and private companies, generally high growth and acquisition-oriented. He has experience with private equity as CFO of portfolio companies and as an operating partner including helping to drive exits.
“Take risks, make changes to the legacy approach, don't be afraid to fail.”
Steven Maxwell: Steve has a track record of international business growth and turnarounds as a CEO, business leader, board member, and advisor in the HR Technology, Business Services, Financial Services, and Health Care Payer industries.
“Know the company's profile of a "good" customer, find and be a problem solver for those customers, and create an incentive structure that drives your team's desired behaviors.”
Caleb White: Since 2000, Caleb has been a Board Director with Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc., a portfolio of manufacturing companies whose products include pet foods, solutions for aerospace and defense, life science diagnostic testing, specialty chemical processing and commercial real estate. “
“Critically, sales managers must understand that their behavior must be very different than a salesperson. Sales managers must optimize the selling system that their sales team implements in its marketplace. Great salespeople do not always make great sales managers.”
Ferey Faridian: Ferey is a senior strategic investment professional with 25 years of experience spanning management consulting in 12 countries, investment banking and principal investing, as well as serving as CEO/President of high-technology ventures.
“You can be self-conscious and worry about your bonus; you can be subject conscious and bore your client with product information; or you can be people conscious and understand your client, really understand your client. Which will give you the longer run and the greater success?”
Alain Bouruet-Aubertot: Alain is a seasoned President and CEO with global experience transforming publicly traded and venture-backed companies in the basic materials sector (chemicals, building products, construction materials, minerals, ceramics, metals, etc.).
“Align the organization and products/services offering to deliver maximum value to the company's customer base. Those customers that recognize and are paying for this value must be managed as the company's "strategic" or "key" accounts.”
Ted Parrish: Ted Parrish has a strong background as both an operating executive and an advisor. He brings to Newport extensive background in financial services strategy and operations.
“Spend more time learning what the customer/client wants to buy and forget about what you want to sell.”
Keith Boudreau: Keith's experience in business and professional services spans 30 years across functions and industries. He has been president of operating divisions in 4 different Fortune 500 companies, with equal time spent in sales/marketing roles as well as COO and other strategic leadership responsibilities. He is a Certified Sales Trainer, Executive Coach and Six Sigma Black Belt.
"Your department is our core R&D function. Your team MUST deliver a steady and consistent flow of advice from our customers on what we're doing well, what we need to improve, and what products or services we don't currently offer that we need to develop to be their primary supplier 2 years from now."
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Billie Otto: Billie was until recently Executive VP and CIO of TrueBlue Inc. (NYSE: TBI) the largest industrial staffing firm in the U.S. The company has nearly $2 billion in revenue, serves approximately 130,000 customers and deploys more than 375,000 temporary associates.
“Know what problem your customer is trying to solve. If not, you risk losing engagement with your customer. Ultimately your product becomes irrelevant.”
J. Ronald Frump: Ron has a diverse background as a CEO and senior executive in the consumer packaged goods industry, especially food, with public and private companies. Most recently Ron has been CEO of a publicly traded, Japanese-owned manufacturer of collagen products for food, medical and cosmetics markets.
“Let the sales force know that, in going about their job, they represent a company and the many who comprise it. They must believe that the whole company stands behind them and will support them. As a result the sales manager does not have to worry about whether the customer will be satisfied with the products or the services provided.”
“What is my company's greatest risk? How can I maintain growth momentum and prevent getting stuck?”
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