---
title: "Sales Manager Management Guide"
description: "This article discusses the management philosophy of marketing managers, emphasizing efficiency through simple execution, avoiding bureaucracy, and effective use of personnel. It also provides a detailed framework for evaluating sales managers, including five key indicators and a balanced approach to results and processes."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
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published: "2015-10-29"
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---

# Sales Manager Management Guide

> This article discusses the management philosophy of marketing managers, emphasizing efficiency through simple execution, avoiding bureaucracy, and effective use of personnel. It also provides a detailed framework for evaluating sales managers, including five key indicators and a balanced approach to results and processes.

Marketing Manager's Management Philosophy
Idea 1: Executing simple things to the end is efficiency
Phenomenon A:
Based on my experience, many large enterprises, especially large Taiwanese-funded enterprises, place great emphasis on rational management, with extremely complex reporting and document systems, whose logic rivals that of any consulting firm. The designers have good intentions, but the results are often unsatisfactory. Sales representatives, amidst their busy daily work, have to fill out numerous reports—eventually, they simply go to a restaurant before noon and fabricate false data to submit. The planning department has to rack their brains for a simple promotional case, gathering extensive background analysis and data support to make their proposal self-consistent. Managers are also stuck indoors all day, searching for clues in piles of documents and reports for "strategy development."
Analysis: Business management is uniquely challenging. Except during meetings, everyone works alone, and monitoring largely relies on reports and document systems. But remember, these are tools designed to improve efficiency. Since they are tools, practicality and simplicity are best. Over-pursuing perfection and comprehensiveness will backfire.
Phenomenon B:
As the market matures, large, medium, and small enterprises all face stagnant performance. Following the trend, many bosses with insufficient internal strength start hiring external experts at high costs, hoping for "wise" guidance to turn things around with a few strategies. Often, the results are contrary to expectations, and they end up cursing the planners as frauds. But not all planners have problems; the key is the enterprise's own execution—whether the plan can be implemented as expected: Classic TV ads air, but the products are not on the shelves; exquisite POPs are printed, but sales reps take bundles home to use as wallpaper; supermarket slotting fees are paid, but the positions are ridiculed by experts, and displays are a mess; trade promotions continue to be invested in, but they become opportunities for managers at all levels to make extra money...
Analysis: Management loopholes cause loss of control. Even companies like Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble cannot 100% avoid this, let alone small enterprises in trouble. Good things are not necessarily suitable for everyone. Applying national team training methods to ordinary people might lead to tragedy. In management, it is crucial to base all market promotion plans on reality, first considering whether they can be executed and how to control, supervise, inspect, and report.
Phenomenon C:
I had the privilege of deeply understanding the operations and management of a domestic Coca-Cola bottling plant. Uncovering the mystery of the century-old marketing myth, only two phrases stand out: "simplicity and effectiveness, direct to the goal" and "strict replication, consistent execution." Coca-Cola's business promotion "martial arts" are nothing more than three types: emphasizing distribution in all channels and outlets, making products ubiquitous and readily available, achieving "buyable"; large roadshows, market impact, and persistent investment in outlet merchandising, communicating with consumers at the closest point to them to increase product "affinity," achieving "happy to buy"; launching different products for different channels, making reasonable A&P investments under strict control of accounts receivable and marketing costs, making product prices more competitive, achieving "affordable." Their business management and reporting systems mostly revolve around five key indicators: distribution rate, merchandising, achievement rate, sales volume, accounts receivable, and active customer count, advocating "one-page marketing" and "as simple as possible."
Analysis: Coca-Cola uses simple methods to solve simple problems. What differentiates them from other companies is their execution. Because of strict management and simple methods, they can "clone" promotional strategies and management systems down the levels with minimal deviation, practicing market fundamentals year after year—the five key indicators—and efficiency is born from this.
Summary:
Speaking of this, I recall some life experiences. Today, almost everyone knows the profound impact English has on one's life and career. Almost everyone who has learned English has made a plan to memorize 5 words a day, enough to pass CET-4 in three years. Unfortunately, few persist. Instead, they resort to tapes, CDs, tutors, foreign teachers, classes, and repeaters, but with little effect. As the economy develops and living standards rise, people's health declines. The health supplement market is fiercely competitive, and combination fitness equipment, once only for the elite, is entering ordinary homes. Actually, everyone knows that a 20-minute morning jog every day can build a healthy body.
I am not rejecting science; rigorous management systems and innovative marketing methods are indeed good. But people in business know: as managers, the mission is to create profits and maximize benefits—management is not poetry, painting, or writing. In business, only success or failure matters. So, starting from reality, based on the current quality of personnel and management status, design a management system that can be borne, launch market operations that directly target goals, and then meticulously execute and monitor results—that is the duty of businesspeople.
Learn from Shaolin monks: practice solid punches, kicks, and basic skills. When you have worn a big pit in the brick floor of the training ground, your martial arts cultivation will naturally reach a high level. Otherwise, you might die from exhaustion before achieving success.
Idea 2: Beware of bureaucracy
Phenomenon:
Five years ago, I was a sales manager at a wine company. The company was small, with no professionals. I was new to the industry and had no experience in FMCG marketing. With a fearless spirit and the market not yet mature, I managed to succeed, defeating leading brands like Great Wall in my area. The morale of unity and shared purpose is still memorable.
Later, I had the opportunity to "further study" at two internationally renowned large FMCG companies and learned a lot. Looking back at my naive actions in the market, I laugh, but I also found that even in these prestigious companies, there are many problems:
New product launches, market initiatives, launch plans of tens of thousands of words, brainstorming sessions lasting days and nights, often still have oversights or are impractical.
Monthly production-sales coordination meetings still result in stale inventory and stockouts.
Sales reps are spread across the country, even with dedicated market research positions, but market information is still slow and response is sluggish.
Managers are battle-hardened and experienced, some diligent and eager to learn, but there are still unfair distributions, lax supervision, and even deception, causing capable people to leave in disappointment while "corporate politicians" celebrate.
Analysis:
Small enterprises have simple management systems and shallow market experience, but with small structures, few personnel, and simple sales networks, they are also highly profit-driven. Therefore, their management functions are often not very prominent. Managers almost live on the front line, working with sales reps and having heart-to-heart talks with customers. When problems arise, they often discuss solutions at the dinner table, in hotels, or even on trains without washing off the dust. Being in the market daily, how could their information not be sharp? Although lacking rigorous argumentation, decisions are made by "manager-level" sales reps who live on the front line—how could they not be practical? Although there are no daily sales reports, sales volumes are small, and customers are few, so stockouts are unlikely. With few subordinates and frequent field visits, it is not easy to "deceive the emperor."
In short, the bosses of small enterprises are immersed in the market. Although they lack professional knowledge and rational thinking, their perceptual understanding of the market is sufficient, creating various advantages.
Large enterprises have complex structures, numerous personnel, and extensive sales networks. Managers have a thousand tasks, rushing through office buildings, unable to look at the market, let alone talk to customers and sales reps. Before they know it, a former frontline warrior becomes a potbellied "bureaucrat"—
Looking only at reports, not the market
Not talking to subordinates, only reading memos
Relying only on past experience
What does this misfortune mean for us?
In the quiet of the night, I ask myself, to prevent premature aging, I have realized seven precepts, hoping peers can refer and correct:
1. Try to get rid of miscellaneous tasks, never do trivial things you should not do. Let internal staff and assistants share the workload. If the workload is too heavy, add more internal staff. The company pays managers not to send faxes, make calls, fill reports, or use computers.
2. Simplify the reporting system as much as possible, achieving "not a word can be reduced to see its brevity." Free yourself, look at the market more, and set regular times for market visits. At those times, put down all work and go out.
3. Be a "crazy" inspector. I heard an interesting story: a marketing coordinator at a leading instant noodle company, to verify a single overtime pay claim, drove hundreds of kilometers from Lanzhou to Yinchuan that day to check. In terms of cost, the tolls exceeded the overtime pay, but the coordinator was not just verifying this one thing; he was telling everyone: "Don't fool me; my inspection methods are beyond your imagination." This approach is cruel, but given the quality of most employees today, it is often the most effective. Relying on charisma, preaching, persuasion, and shaping is indeed scientific, but it is too slow, and not all enterprises can afford it.
4. Unless there is a special need for confidentiality, all market plans should be discussed with sales reps, tested on a small scale, and then finalized and rolled out. Managers' plans naturally have theoretical height and experience, but whether they are rigorous, executable, and practical must be judged by sales reps. In this regard, sales reps are always teachers because they spend more time in the market.
5. Set up a message board or suggestion box (only for market dynamics), so that frontline sales reps' problems and suggestions reach managers in the first time. Every problem and suggestion should be read carefully and responded to responsibly. Everyone has a desire to speak. If you take subordinates' input seriously, your brainpower and senses expand several times.
6. No matter how much work pressure, always maintain orderliness, insist on time management, do daily summaries and tomorrow's plans, file documents, reflect on gains and losses daily, and never be chaotic. People who have no time for time management are the stupidest, like those who have no time to exercise—things only get worse. Time management is an important work task, not a luxury.
7. Eliminate all distractions and concentrate. Even if you do the above six points, managers' work is still complex and disorderly, with unexpected events, faxes, meetings, and market changes. But don't forget, you are the leader of a department and a team. You must lead the team in the right direction, so set short-, medium-, and long-term development plans for your department and focus on them. For example, establish 10 offices and 2 branches within six months, focus on training 3 business managers, fully implement established management policies within two months, and strengthen supermarket channel sales this month. Once the plan is set, focus on implementation, eliminate distractions, and pay attention to execution. Never have a plan every day but not execute it, falling into the trap of a team without a unified direction.
Idea 3: Know people and use them well
Management is a great learning because there are rules to follow; it is also an art because it involves dealing with people. The higher the management level, the more it should rely on the art of using people. Those who have reached this level should understand: "using people," these two simple words contain so much meaning.
1. Many "ancient teachings" are hard to understand without personal experience. "Don't believe one-sided stories" is known to all, but few truly understand it. The higher the level, the more subordinates, the easier it is to fall into the trap of biased listening. Managers must maintain calm, rational thinking and judgment. Unless you fully understand the background, never jump to conclusions. Even if it is just a judgment in your mind without action, a momentary misjudgment may hurt the enthusiasm of an excellent employee and lose your department's human resources.
2. Not knowing how to drive does not mean you cannot manage the storage and transportation department. Managers do not need to be proficient in every task they manage. As long as you can identify who is suitable for a task and judge the supervisor's work in the big direction, that is enough. But be careful: the more unfamiliar the field, the more you should listen to subordinates' opinions for reference, and do not easily give harsh orders.
3. Do not easily make friends with subordinates unless you fully understand them. People are emotional animals. Once friends, subordinates often develop unreasonable expectations, and you may be constrained in personnel adjustments and reward/punishment measures. "Emotional baggage" reduces management efficiency, especially for important positions. A small compromise in manpower planning can cause huge losses, affect other employees' morale, cause sales losses, or even ruin a market.
4. Management should not go down beyond a certain level. Put responsibility on the level of your direct subordinates. Even if you see small problems in the department, do not easily intervene, because getting involved in every detail wastes energy and leaves no time for important matters. Managing too closely reduces the sense of responsibility and authority of subordinate supervisors, creating a vicious cycle.
5. Establish the authority of subordinate supervisors, emphasize hierarchical management and subordinates' obedience to superiors. This is not to protect a particular person but to maintain the administrative position of the supervisor; otherwise, there is no need for that position.
6. Absolutely maintain the overall management efficiency of the team. Some employees have good personal abilities but cannot fit into the team, or are not good at getting along with colleagues, affecting others' work mood; or act on their own, refusing to implement company policies, affecting the team's command effectiveness; or complain constantly without going through proper channels, disturbing morale. These behaviors can be attributed to impatience and immaturity. Even if such employees have outstanding personal abilities, they should be restricted, their negative impact identified, and handled properly. The larger the team, the more emphasis on unified pace and overall management efficiency. Individualism only brings side effects.
7. Just as preaching is not omnipotent, so we have laws and prisons. Training and coaching subordinates are not omnipotent either. No matter how good the training, it is for "those who are willing." Therefore, necessary pressure is an essential part of management. Give subordinates a direction, some appropriate guidance, plus appropriate pressure, set quantified tasks and punishment standards, and often more human resources will be generated. For those who truly cannot do the job, adjust without hesitation (change positions, demote, or even persuade to resign).
How to Evaluate Sales Managers
The Dilemma of Sales Evaluation
Sales are the lifeline of a company. Sales managers across the country hold the lifelines. How to evaluate marketing managers often puts many bosses in a dilemma.
If only evaluating based on sales revenue, it helps expand market share, but it easily brings negative effects of only chasing sales volume without considering costs. Sanzhu Company suffered from this.
If requiring sales managers to be responsible for profits, the headquarters' cost pressure will decrease, but sales managers' independence is too strong, and they may grow big in regional markets, gradually losing headquarters' control, and the marketing system may collapse at any time.
So, how to establish a mechanism that evaluates managers' performance while closely linking this evaluation to the company's overall development and managers' career development?
The Challenge of Sales Management
The most common problem in managing and evaluating sales managers is emphasizing results over process. Many companies manage regional managers by saying, "At the end of the year, I ask for results; how you do it is your business." This management method that only focuses on results and ignores process causes many out-of-control phenomena. Many companies have experienced: salespeople work in the dark, sales managers live it up, and advertisements are everywhere...
The second common problem is the unreasonable design of the indicator system for sales managers. Many companies' evaluation systems overly emphasize sales plan completion rate, ignoring other indicators.
For example, if the abilities of the salespeople under the marketing manager are not evaluated, the consequences can be severe:
1. Many sales managers think, "This customer is mine," and do not want salespeople to handle it. They handle it personally, turning the manager into a big salesperson. Gradually, salespeople lose their sales sense and become internal staff. The manager does the business, and salespeople just issue orders and deliver goods, eventually paralyzing the entire sales team.
2. Causing huge waste of personnel. The manager becomes a big salesperson, and subordinates certainly do not exert their abilities, so their salaries are wasted.
3. The sales team is not developed. Once the manager leaves, the market has a blank spot, and all customers are taken away.
Five Indicators for Evaluating Sales Managers
For sales evaluation, first, there must be accurate positioning: who is the object of evaluation? Because the evaluation of sales managers and salespeople is different. Today we talk about the evaluation of sales managers.
First, design an indicator system. Evaluating marketing managers only by performance is obviously biased. The indicator system designed here mainly includes the following five indicators, with a total score of 100 points.
First indicator: Sales plan completion rate (40 points).
This refers to the ratio of actual sales volume to target sales volume in the market under the sales manager's responsibility, i.e., his actual sales revenue divided by the target, giving an evaluation standard.
That is, if the marketing manager exactly completes the designated sales amount, he gets the full 40 points for this indicator; if he completes more than half above the plan, he can get 60 points; but if his actual sales amount is less than 60% of the target, he gets 0 points for this item.
Second indicator: The achievement rate of the marketing personnel managed by the marketing manager (20 points).
As a manager, the marketing manager's important task is to lead the team, so his ability to lead his salespeople to achieve sales must be evaluated. Some marketing managers, to complete performance, do business themselves all day, ignoring salespeople. But this only shows he is an excellent salesperson, not a competent manager.
This indicator evaluates the achievement rate of the salespeople under his leadership, with a reference score of 20 points.
Specifically, if his salespeople's achievement rate is above 90%, he gets 20 points. We do not require 100% of the salespeople under the sales manager to be qualified; 90% is good enough. The unqualified 10% should be eliminated and replaced.
If 90% or more are qualified, he gets full marks; if 80% or more, 18 points; if 70% or more, 15 points; if 60% or more, 10 points; if below 60%, 0 points, indicating such a manager has poor leadership and can only be a salesperson, not lead a team.
Third indicator: Sales expense utilization rate (20 points).
The so-called sales expense utilization rate is the ratio of the company's specified sales expense budget to the actual expenses incurred. If he saves sales expenses, the score is high; if expenses exceed, the score is low.
Fourth indicator: Information system management (15 points).
This information system management includes salespeople's daily reports, customer file management, market information feedback, service information feedback, etc. As an excellent sales manager, sales is one responsibility; on the other hand, he must also provide marketing information and marketing decisions for the entire company. More critically, if the marketing manager never works on the information system, the company has no understanding of regional customers, and it is very easy for salespeople and managers to resign and take away a large number of customers.
Fifth indicator: Work attitude (5 points).
That is, the sales manager's own attitude, such as positivity, obedience to command, team spirit, corporate culture, etc. This is a comprehensive soft indicator.
The design philosophy of this indicator system is to combine the marketing manager's sales performance indicators with his market operation management, guiding his behavior through the perfect design of the indicator system.
Emphasize Both Results and Process
Second, sales management should emphasize both results and process. The so-called results are the indicator system mentioned above. The sales process mainly involves weekly sales summaries, i.e., the sales weekly meeting. Since sales managers are distributed in various places, multiple methods can be used:
First method: Physical meetings. Sales managers return to headquarters for meetings.
Second method: Telephone conferences.
Third method: Sending emails. Sales managers from various places send market information and fill in specified forms.
Whether physical or virtual meetings, the key is to hold marketing meetings every week.
For example, every weekend, such a marketing meeting should be held. Then, problems are identified, and difficulties are found. If they cannot solve them, the headquarters or marketing department can provide support. If problems arise, the marketing department can coordinate. This ensures that every sales manager is under the supervision of the headquarters.
Now, excellent companies control the process of marketing personnel to daily, and for sales managers, to weekly. This ensures the process of achieving indicators, rather than simply using the indicator system to evaluate results.
Combine Evaluation with Personal Development
Third, combine evaluation with the manager's personal career planning. The design philosophy is to promote the common growth of individuals and the company. Evaluation can determine whether managers are qualified or excellent, but it is not enough to only find out their shortcomings; there must be practical methods to help managers improve their abilities, which involves human resource skills in non-HR departments.
For example, each sales manager has a face-to-face communication with his superior manager to design his career plan, then compare it with his current business plan to see which aspects have been achieved and which have not. What are the reasons for non-achievement? Which are quality issues, and which are attitude issues? What training methods are used for quality issues, and how to train for attitude issues? In short, while evaluating, help managers develop continuously. A company that only uses people but does not cultivate them cannot attract managers to work for it long-term.
The Three Forces Theory for Evaluating Sales Managers
For sales managers, I advocate the combination of three forces: pressure, motivation, and attraction. That is, in the evaluation process, achieve the combination of these three forces, reduce pressure, and expand motivation and attraction.
Attraction is to enhance the appeal of the company's culture and vision. Motivation is the realization of his personal career. The company plans for you: if you achieve a certain goal, you get certain rewards, such as salary increases, housing, car solutions... While completing performance, how to systematically improve personal abilities, such as management skills and leadership art, what level will be reached in three years, and what level in five years, this forms motivation for managers.
I think in the actual evaluation of sales managers, motivation should account for 60%. Pressure and attraction each account for 20%.
Now, many companies put pressure at 60%, using wages and bonuses to pressure employees. This makes many employees feel you are exploiting me. When they get bonuses, they still feel they should get more, causing inner imbalance, and then behavioral imbalances, such as job-hopping, sabotage, reporting false information, and order-stealing.
Therefore, the core of sales manager evaluation is the synchronized development of individuals and the company, not just a lever for salary distribution.
**-END-**
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