The Sales Manager Who Survive
I'm choosing to write this interesting post about a sales manager who survives for the reason that I might look back one day and tell someone:
"Look. It's OK to be a sales manager but be the one worth working with."
That's the whole point of this post.
I can see that many people who came to this blog wanting to know about how to ace sales manager interviews and I respect that.
It tells me that you want to move ahead in your career.
Management post could be your best next post.
Just like I hinted earlier:
It's OK to be a manager but the one worth working with.
I use "working with" not "working for" here unless you own the company.
Management post could be your best next post.
Just like I hinted earlier:
It's OK to be a manager but the one worth working with.
I use "working with" not "working for" here unless you own the company.
I have not worked with sales reps who own a pharma company yet.
In every case, it's working together, not working for a manager.
A guy in his late forties, a family man and had been around the pharma industry for close to 20 years (so young, good-looking, 30 something managers and female managers are out of this context). He had also worked for a few pharma before he landed the manager's post.
In summary:
He had learned the rope and had done his time (sounds like a repented inmates!).
How did he survive?
The main strategy is:
To choose the people to be in his camp.
How to choose these people?
He tests them for loyalty and endurance.
He makes them do what he asks, with minimal supervision and if they did it without inquisitive mind, and sealed mouth, they pass.
That also means:
how he manages them, the method he uses, the managing strategy, and so on, if ever got scrutinize by his manager, the people he chooses must be able to take his side.
No backstabbing and always edify him as competent and efficient.
If he ever committed a mistake, he makes sure that someone is already at his disposal to take the fall.
For example:
If he could not get to the senior post, one or more people under him must get ready to be blamed:
"I did not get the senior post because of you, so now, how can you compensate?"
If you happen to be under this manager, be prepared.
The worst has yet to come.
Another important strategy:
To rub the shoulder with the right upper manager or the manager's manager.
If I may, this strategy is more critical than the previous one because, simply, he's answerable to his manager, not subordinate.
That's why it's essential to please the right manager, especially those who will back him up during a meeting, etc.
This strategy is advantageous because in a meeting, say, to recommend for promotion or pay rise, managers will listen and support each other to avoid looking like a dork.
Even though he knows that, objectively, it's not realistic, for example, for a sales rep who had been changed his portfolio several times in the same year to maintain performance, he must justify his choice for not recommending the rep rather than defending the rep.
If he chooses to defend the rep:
He'll make himself look like a fool while other managers would probably laugh behind him and say:
"Serve you right fool. Why don't you make it easy on yourself and crush the rep's soul? It's easier, and you can give an excuse to that later."
That's the kind of sales manager who survives.
I'm not writing this to judge or condemn anyone.
If you're still interested in pursuing your career as a manager, there are other ways to be an effective manager.
You don't have to thrive on someone else pain to give you pleasure.
Plus:
You can choose a way that puts your conscience at peace and make you look intelligent.
Remember:
This sales manager post shall pass.
What's left of you when it's all gone?
I have no intention to make this a lengthy post.
I just want to touch on a few things.
First:
Who qualifies as "bad sales managers"?
Short answer: ANIMAL!
Don't be fooled by their sweet look, outstanding appearance, oratory skill, etc.
Just like the infamous iceberg that sank the Titanic, you get to see only 15% (maybe less) of their real personality. The rest (the ugly ones) are just waiting for the right time to surface.
Imagine:
Reporting to a wild boar who just wait to bore you to death ...
... A snake who likes to bite when you're not looking ...
... Or a tiny centipede that creeps inside your innerwear and causes you to shout and jump all over!
Second:
You would not know the real personality of your sales manager until it's too late!
You can only guess what they are like, but the impression can be like the mirage in the dessert - the closer you get further it may seem. You keep chasing it until you know that it doesn't exist. When you do, however, it's too late. You'll die in thirst under the hot sun, and your body will be covered by sand, blown by the desert wind.
And you'll be forgotten.
Yeah, I know. Animal.
Some of you probably don't understand figurative language.
What I was ranting up to this point is this:
You can't easily spot a bad manager (animal) until it's too late.
You're called in for:
disciplinary action (which seem reasonable a few months before)
a show cause letter
or merely a warning letter.
Things happen, and "animal" managers are authentic, so watch out.
Always be vigilant.
There are animals everywhere.
Let's talk about the sales manager who survived:
A guy in his late forties, a family man and had been around the pharma industry for close to 20 years (so young, good-looking, 30 something managers and female managers are out of this context). He had also worked for a few pharma before he landed the manager's post.
In summary:
He had learned the rope and had done his time (sounds like a repented inmates!).
How did he survive?
The main strategy is:
To choose the people to be in his camp.
How to choose these people?
He tests them for loyalty and endurance.
He makes them do what he asks, with minimal supervision and if they did it without inquisitive mind, and sealed mouth, they pass.
That also means:
how he manages them, the method he uses, the managing strategy, and so on, if ever got scrutinize by his manager, the people he chooses must be able to take his side.
No backstabbing and always edify him as competent and efficient.
If he ever committed a mistake, he makes sure that someone is already at his disposal to take the fall.
For example:
If he could not get to the senior post, one or more people under him must get ready to be blamed:
"I did not get the senior post because of you, so now, how can you compensate?"
If you happen to be under this manager, be prepared.
The worst has yet to come.
Another important strategy:
To rub the shoulder with the right upper manager or the manager's manager.
If I may, this strategy is more critical than the previous one because, simply, he's answerable to his manager, not subordinate.
That's why it's essential to please the right manager, especially those who will back him up during a meeting, etc.
This strategy is advantageous because in a meeting, say, to recommend for promotion or pay rise, managers will listen and support each other to avoid looking like a dork.
Even though he knows that, objectively, it's not realistic, for example, for a sales rep who had been changed his portfolio several times in the same year to maintain performance, he must justify his choice for not recommending the rep rather than defending the rep.
If he chooses to defend the rep:
He'll make himself look like a fool while other managers would probably laugh behind him and say:
"Serve you right fool. Why don't you make it easy on yourself and crush the rep's soul? It's easier, and you can give an excuse to that later."
That's the kind of sales manager who survives.
I'm not writing this to judge or condemn anyone.
If you're still interested in pursuing your career as a manager, there are other ways to be an effective manager.
You don't have to thrive on someone else pain to give you pleasure.
Plus:
You can choose a way that puts your conscience at peace and make you look intelligent.
Remember:
This sales manager post shall pass.
What's left of you when it's all gone?
Sales Manager: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
I have no intention to make this a lengthy post.
I just want to touch on a few things.
First:
Who qualifies as "bad sales managers"?
Short answer: ANIMAL!
Don't be fooled by their sweet look, outstanding appearance, oratory skill, etc.
Just like the infamous iceberg that sank the Titanic, you get to see only 15% (maybe less) of their real personality. The rest (the ugly ones) are just waiting for the right time to surface.
Imagine:
Reporting to a wild boar who just wait to bore you to death ...
... A snake who likes to bite when you're not looking ...
... Or a tiny centipede that creeps inside your innerwear and causes you to shout and jump all over!
Second:
You would not know the real personality of your sales manager until it's too late!
You can only guess what they are like, but the impression can be like the mirage in the dessert - the closer you get further it may seem. You keep chasing it until you know that it doesn't exist. When you do, however, it's too late. You'll die in thirst under the hot sun, and your body will be covered by sand, blown by the desert wind.
And you'll be forgotten.
Yeah, I know. Animal.
Some of you probably don't understand figurative language.
What I was ranting up to this point is this:
You can't easily spot a bad manager (animal) until it's too late.
You're called in for:
disciplinary action (which seem reasonable a few months before)
a show cause letter
or merely a warning letter.
Things happen, and "animal" managers are authentic, so watch out.
Always be vigilant.
There are animals everywhere.
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