I have worked with literally thousands of great salespeople. Some move on to management, and some do not. Some consistently top performers never get the opportunity to be a sales manager. Did you ever wonder why?
I have to say it is one of the most common reasons salespeople leave one dealership to go to another. They feel like they have been passed over for a promotion even though they have been at one store for a long time and have always performed at a high level. Manageritis I believe is the industry term, and it can be fatal.
It’s an affliction I’ve seen many times. A salesperson has been around for a few years and sells a lot of cars. Usually, it’s the aggressive type. Runs over anybody and everybody to make a dollar. Lots of heat from customers, lots of agro from other staff. Not everyone’s favorite person. But they have an ego and that’s part of what makes them great. Confidence. They believe with all their heart that they would make an amazing manager. That they deserve to be a manager. And then it happens. An opportunity comes along, and they don’t get promoted. In fact, someone who maybe sells fewer cars, and maybe even has been there less time, gets the opportunity. The predictable result being a very disappointed and even disgruntled salesperson with a bruised ego. Then it’s off to another dealership because… well, “To heck with this company, I’m never getting an opportunity here.” And they are probably right.
Sometimes, and these are the tougher ones, it’s a salesperson who has almost all the ingredients of a great sales manager. They’ve been there a long time. They never take time off. They work hard. Always first to volunteer. A great employee. But alas, don’t sell a ton of cars. They do well enough through sheer work ethic to sell enough to stay around, but they aren’t breaking any sales records that’s for sure. Bruised egos are not the issue here, what happens with these types when they get passed over is they get hurt. Which in many ways is worse, because nobody wants to hurt anyone’s feelings, and when someone gives you everything they have, and then still gets passed over for promotion, that’s tough, because it’s not fixable, and it’s nobody’s fault.
If you can’t sell or if you’re not a top performer, no matter how hard you work, you can’t be a sales manager because you're just not that good at it.
So, there it is, if you can’t sell or if you’re not a top performer, no matter how hard you work, you can’t be a sales manager because you're just not that good at it. The bigger question is, why would a top performer, who has been a salesperson in one dealership for a long time, be passed over for a management opportunity? Yes, sometimes its upper management with poor judgement, or even worse, nepotism. But usually, it’s as simple as the salesperson lacking the skills to be a manager and not knowing it.
The reality is that being a top performing salesperson doesn’t automatically make you a good candidate to be a manager. It takes way more skills than being able to chase a dollar and close a deal. It takes maturity, empathy, judgement, and the ability to make the right decision for the business, every time.
So, how do you know if you have the skill set to be management? Really a few simple questions, if you can answer truthfully, will tell you if you have what it takes.
Are you a team player? That’s a tough one. If you are too nice, and not competitive, you can’t sell cars. But if you are too aggressive and skate your co-workers, then that won’t work either. The key element of teamwork is that you have earned the respect of your co-workers because you act with integrity. You are willing to help other staff to succeed, and don’t view their success as a threat to you. So, that’s the question. Have you earned the respect of my co-workers? If you have, then you will retain that respect as a manager. If you haven’t, getting a title is not going to change that.
Your interests as a salesperson should always be aligned with the best interests of the business.
Do you always act in the best interests of the business? Your interests as a salesperson should always be aligned with the best interests of the business. The business likes satisfied customers and staff combined with maximum profit and minimum liability. If your customers are satisfied with very few complaints, and you are not the subject of regular grievances from other staff, then you are on the right track. If you also take care not to create liability for the company while performing consistently at a high level, then your interests are in line with those of the company. If you are the subject of regular complaints from customers and staff and have made some bad decisions that created liability for the company, it doesn’t matter how many cars you sell or how much gross you generate, you are not a good candidate for management.
Do you care about the business? Saying you care isn’t enough. As they say actions speak louder than words. Are you always on time? Do you take a lot of time off? Do you follow company policy? Are you aware and engaged while not at work? Do you dress and act professionally? These are basic questions that reveal the truth. If you're late or take time off regularly, break company policies, don’t answer your phone when you’re not at work or often look like you went straight from bed to work, then probably, you are not a good candidate for management.
And there you have it, all the reasons that you may not be a good candidate for management can also provide you with a road map to the next level in your career. Create satisfied customers. Earn the respect of your coworkers by being a team player with integrity. Earn the respect of management by constantly demonstrating through your actions that you care about the business, even when you are not there. Perform at a high level and for crying out loud, take a few minutes each day to make sure you don’t look like you slept in a box down the road, not that there's anything wrong with that.
The bottom line is this. If you don’t care about the business, if you can’t look a bit further down the road than your next sale, if your coworkers don’t respect you, then likely you won’t be a sales manager anytime soon. Good luck and good selling.