Phlegm Alley Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Next week, I fly out to Denver to start training for a new Sales Manager position where I am responsible for the entire east coast and growing the territory with digital advertising services solutions that my company offers, along with managing the 340+ sales reps that lie within the territory. The position is a huge jump in responsibility for me, as I have primarily been on the business development and sales side of the profession. It is also a huge jump in terms of travel. I was told the position requires me to be on the road 80% of the time from Michigan, to Boston, to Tampa Bay and everywhere in between. I am curious if there are other managers here at TBD that can offer some insight as how to best prepare for a management position and best practices to managing people in different parts of the country. Additionally, I was curious if anyone can provide insight as how to best manage the high travel demands associated with the position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Take off your shoes and curl your toes into the carpet when you get to your hotel room after flights. Unless your name is Bruce Willis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I'm assuming this is an entry-level manager position (i.e. not a manager of managers). Is this the case? The advice I'm writing is geared towards that (although #1 and #2 still apply, it'd be to a different audience, not the front-line sales employees). Don't come in and change stuff right away. Observe, get to know how your people work, give it time. Understand how they work, why they work that way, who they are, etc. Spend a lot of time learning and observing at the start. Do something to gain your employee's trust during this time. Find something that is a problem for them currently, and go fix it. Don't go for something major or hard to change (again, there's a trust-building/learning period), but do something for all of them to build their trust. Prove that you listen, take their criticism to heart, and go make change for better. This is an important first step. After you've had some time to establish yourself as trustworthy, it's a really good exercise to sit down with your teams, lay out what you expect of your teams, what you commit to your teams, and your rules of engagement. Make it a two-way discussion. Putting the moose on the table, it takes the guesswork out of your employees knowing where they stand, and making it collaborative means you get buy-in. I use a set of like 9 team values to have this conversation. They are generally pretty obvious things like "Take Action, Even If You Fail", "You are empowered, you don't need to wait for me to act", "No Surprises", "Be Direct and Honest", etc. However, it lets your employees know up front what you expect of them. Make sure they also always know where they stand. If they go into a performance review wondering how they're going to do, you've failed as a manager. Performance reviews should be a formality, never a surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jauronimo Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Your biggest obstacle is going to be power hungry middle managers. Root out non-believers. Offer rewards and incentives to those who report wrong doing. Send out e-mails announcing the termination of employees (real or fictional). Cultivate a culture of fear. Place a huge dildo on your desk in plain sight. This will make everyone uncomfortable and keep people on their toes. Forbid your underlings from making eye contact with you. Frequent public humiliation is an excellent tactic to eradicate morale. Have all transgressors (again, both real and fictional) craft lengthy public apologies/confessions. Require all branches and satellite offices to hang your likeness in break rooms, conference rooms and cubicles to let them know that you're eternally vigilant. Crush all dissenters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Congrats! Bluefire's advice is very sound. I can elaborate a tad, with hopes of helping. Don't come in and change stuff right away. - Exactly. Avoid the "New Sheriff in Town," mentality. Do something to gain your employee's trust during this time. - Try to find out one thing about each of them. Hobby, family, music interest, etc. Lay out what you expect of your teams. - Huge. Be crystal clear. Pretend you're talking to idiots who need things very black and white, without offending them. And take this opportunity to tell them what they can expect from you. Make sure they also always know where they stand. - Another huge one. Avoiding confrontation is easy. Easy is bad. If someone is underperforming, bring it to their attention immediately and work together in identifying WHY, as well as working together toward a solution. Like Bluefire said ... no surprises at review time. That will get you more respect as well as weed out the bullschitters. Best of luck and again, congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Your biggest obstacle is going to be power hungry middle managers. Root out non-believers. Offer rewards and incentives to those who report wrong doing. Send out e-mails announcing the termination of employees (real or fictional). Cultivate a culture of fear. Place a huge dildo on your desk in plain sight. This will make everyone uncomfortable and keep people on their toes. Forbid your underlings from making eye contact with you. Frequent public humiliation is an excellent tactic to eradicate morale. Have all transgressors (again, both real and fictional) craft lengthy public apologies/confessions. Require all branches and satellite offices to hang your likeness in break rooms, conference rooms and cubicles to let them know that you're eternally vigilant. Crush all dissenters. Only thing I can add...friend this guy on Facebook and flaunt your relationship with everyone you talk to. Refer to him as "Unni" to show that you two are tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Do not be scared to admit you do not know. And when you do not know, find out. Observe others, ask opinions. And teach what you have learned and how you learned it. The value is in learning from those around you. Always follow up. Take notes. And be concise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Send out an email your first day to all your underlings with the subject line "My Philosophy" and just a link to this..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCf46yHIzSo Seriously though, with all your travel sign up for every hotel and airline points program, so that wherever you stay you'll collect points to use later for personal travel. I haven't paid for a hotel room in years.... Best Western http://www.bestwestern.com/rewards/ Choice Privileges (Comfort Inn, etc) http://www.choicehot...oice-privileges Club Carlson (Radisson, etc) http://www.clubcarlson.com/ Hilton Honors (Hilton, Hampton Inn, etc) http://hhonors3.hilt...m/en/index.html Hyatt Gold Passport http://www.hyatt.com/gp/en/index.jsp La Quinta Rewards http://www.lq.com/lq/returns/ Marriot Rewards http://www.marriott....ards-program.mi Priority Club (Holiday Inn, etc) http://www.ihg.com/p...tels/us/en/home Red Roof Redicard http://www.redroof.com/redicard/ Starwood Preferred Guest (Sheraton, etc) http://www.starwoodh...uest/index.html Wyndham Rewards (Wyndham, Ramada, Super 8, etc) (note: these were usually the worst hotels I've ever stayed at) https://www.wyndhamr...mer/home.action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Send out an email your first day to all your underlings with the subject line "My Philosophy" and just a link to this..... Seriously though, with all your travel sign up for every hotel and airline points program, so that wherever you stay you'll collect points to use later for personal travel. I haven't paid for a hotel room in years.... Best Western http://www.bestwestern.com/rewards/ Choice Privileges (Comfort Inn, etc) http://www.choicehotels.com/en/choice-privileges Club Carlson (Radisson, etc) http://www.clubcarlson.com/ Hilton Honors (Hilton, Hampton Inn, etc) http://hhonors3.hilton.com/en/index.html Hyatt Gold Passport http://www.hyatt.com/gp/en/index.jsp La Quinta Rewards http://www.lq.com/lq/returns/ Marriot Rewards http://www.marriott.com/rewards/rewards-program.mi Priority Club (Holiday Inn, etc) http://www.ihg.com/priorityclub/hotels/us/en/home Red Roof Redicard http://www.redroof.com/redicard/ Starwood Preferred Guest (Sheraton, etc) http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/index.html Wyndham Rewards (Wyndham, etc) (note: these were usually the worst hotels I've ever stayed at) https://www.wyndhamrewards.com/trec/consumer/home.action Good point. We still get free trips and hotels from my dad who amassed a 27 year career of traveling to 89 different countries. They will pay off in more time then you think. And unless pressing. Always take the bump. Not the first request. Make them up the any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gomper Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Phlem, you've gotten some great advice here and I'll just add on more thing. When it comes to ass kicking time (and believe me it will) i employ a technique that I use with my 7 year old. I sit employee x down to discuss the matter and firmly and in no uncertain terms, explain the situation and what I want done different. Stern eye contact is a must. After all is said I do a complete 180 and bring up some topic (work story, current event, sports) just to leave it on a positive note. It works like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 So your first management position is the whole east coast managing 340+ reps?? Did the rest of the management team come down with a terminal illness?? Congrats and good luck on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Congrats on the promotion. Bluefire had some solid suggestions. Especially the initial period, just observe and see how everything works and information flows around. Only after you understand everything can you start to make effective changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrags Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Just don't give into anyone's ****. Your the boss. Be the boss. For better or worse, your decisions are the ones that need to be followed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Next week, I fly out to Denver to start training for a new Sales Manager position where I am responsible for the entire east coast and growing the territory with digital advertising services solutions that my company offers, along with managing the 340+ sales reps that lie within the territory. The position is a huge jump in responsibility for me, as I have primarily been on the business development and sales side of the profession. It is also a huge jump in terms of travel. I was told the position requires me to be on the road 80% of the time from Michigan, to Boston, to Tampa Bay and everywhere in between. I am curious if there are other managers here at TBD that can offer some insight as how to best prepare for a management position and best practices to managing people in different parts of the country. Additionally, I was curious if anyone can provide insight as how to best manage the high travel demands associated with the position. Everyone's missing the most important advice, I think: Do NOT introduce yourself to your employees with "Hi, I'm your new boss, Mr. Alley. Call me Phlegm." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philly McButterpants Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Think strategically, not tactically. Find out what your bosses need from your team and put your people in position to achieve that. You're not a salesperson anymore. Don't think like one, and absolutely don't do the work of one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 I'm not sure what advice he's going to take but I do know one thing. His Monday through Friday 9-5 post count is going to skyrocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Phlem, you've gotten some great advice here and I'll just add on more thing. When it comes to ass kicking time (and believe me it will) i employ a technique that I use with my 7 year old. I sit employee x down to discuss the matter and firmly and in no uncertain terms, explain the situation and what I want done different. Stern eye contact is a must. After all is said I do a complete 180 and bring up some topic (work story, current event, sports) just to leave it on a positive note. It works like a charm. Yeah yeah.... Just knock the snot out of the kid Seriously though I do believe there is a healthy correlation between parenting and managing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Think strategically, not tactically. Find out what your bosses need from your team and put your people in position to achieve that. You're not a salesperson anymore. Don't think like one, and absolutely don't do the work of one. Depends on company culture.Where I am, doesn't matter how high you are, you do both strategic and tactical work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 I don't have any advice for what you are doing... Sorry to be a little skeptical... Jim's concerned post earlier about the whole east coast being out sick has me asking: "What's "the catch" with the job?" Were you promoted or are you a new hire? Are you on the hook with a lot of your own money? They are paying you right, something? For travel expenses too? Training? You do NOT have to answer my questions, please do not be offended. Just be careful... There are a lot of good employers out there and there are a lot of not so nice ones especially in a tough economy... I do not want to see your hard work get taken advantage of IN A negative way... Same withe your personal finances... Please don't think I am being too forward. Think of this as what family would be asking. The offer sounds great, go for it! Hope it all works out for you PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Do not be scared to admit you do not know. And when you do not know, find out. Observe others, ask opinions. And teach what you have learned and how you learned it. The value is in learning from those around you. Always follow up. Take notes. And be concise Dude, he said MANAGE people, not milk 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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