During my time managing several projects and working with sales teams, I realized there are certain key qualities that make a great sales manager. I’m not going to get into specific details about each quality, but I want to highlight the overall traits that help a good sales manager build a respectful team environment and achieve their sales goals.
Qualities
Leadership and Team Development:
Advocates for the team within the organization
Fights for team support and resources
Pushes team members to try new things for career growth
Participates in team members’ growth
Promotes team members
Replicates their strengths within team members
Emotional Intelligence and People Management:
Has high emotional intelligence
Manages each team member’s personality differently
Shows empathy towards team members
Genuinely cares about people and demonstrates it
Regularly checks in on team members’ well-being
Allows team members to vent without dismissing their concerns
Strategic Thinking and Problem-Solving:
Understands the job thoroughly
Clears roadblocks without the team noticing
Constantly works to remove obstacles for team members
Has a good sense of numbers
Is open to discussing strategy
Coaching and Support:
Coaches without micromanaging
Is always available for support
Brings out the best in mediocre performers
Provides constructive criticism through coaching
Gets involved in the sales cycle to help team members
Communication and Transparency:
Communicates excellently
Is easily approachable
Communicates directly and respectfully
Keeps team updated on important matters
Ethics and Integrity:
Consistently does the right thing
Never asks people to compromise ethics
Doesn’t make promises that can’t be kept
Removes underperforming team members when necessary
Positive Work Environment:
Maintains unrelenting positivity
Keeps the work environment fun
Expresses pride in team members’ work
Promotes team successes and tactics, not personal achievements
Buffer and Protector:
Insulates team members from operational issues
Protects the team from organizational hazards
Acts as a buffer against unhelpful directives from leadership
Defends the team against criticism from other management
Work-Life Balance Advocate:
Encourages taking days off
Sets reasonable work-life boundaries (e.g., logging off at 8 PM)
Encourages team members to take time off when burnout is a risk
Flexibility and Adaptability:
Remains flexible
Is open to feedback from team members
Handles complex tasks (like legal walkthroughs) for the team
Focus on Results:
Focuses team on closing deals, not operational issues
Doesn’t constantly pester about pipeline
Doesn’t argue about sales quotas
Hiring and Team Building:
Follows a good hiring process to build team trust
Personal Conduct:
Leaves personal issues at home
Avoids public criticism of struggling team members
