\\'hysoog"THffffi mediocre sales managers

By Dave Kahle

If /E'VE all done it. Promored a V Y good salesperson, often our best, to sales manager. My files are full of cases where the results were below expectations for everyone involved. Principals are often disappointed in the lack of results, and the sales managers are confused and frustrated with the lack of achievement of their teams.

A variation on this theme usually produces even more angst. A good salesperson, without any real management experience, is hired from outside the company to fill a sales manager position. When these decisions go bad, the hurt feelings, negative attitudes, and difficult situations that result can be ugly.

Not that this is always the case. Many executives rose through the ranks in just this fashion, contributing exceptionally at every stage. But, these cases are generally the exception, not the rule.

The rule is that few good salespeople make good sales managers.

Why is that?

Consider the unique blend of strengths and aptitudes that often mark the character of an exceptional salesperson. Exceptional salespeople often have very high standards for themselves and everyone around them.

They are highly focused on the customer, often to the determent of their relationships with their colleagues. It's not unusual for your star salesperson to irritate and frustrate the people in the operational side of the business, with a brusque and demanding attitude. After all, rhey think,I'm extending myself to take care of my customers, why shouldn't I expect everyone else to do so also?

When they become sales man- agers, they expect all of their salespeople to be just as hard driving and achievement oriented as they were.

Unfortunately, the reality is that most of their salespeople don't share the same degree of drive and perfectionism that they had. If they did, they would have been promoted to sales manager.

That means that the sales manager often is frustrated with the performance and attitudes of his charges, and confused as to how to change them.

The exceptional salesperson is often an independent character, who thrives in a climate where he can make his own decisions, determine his own call patterns, and spend time by himself.

Alas, he loses almost all of that when he is promoted to sales manager. He's expected to work a consistent, well-defined work week, to spend a certain number of hours in the office, and to fulfill certain administrative functions. The freedom to make his own decisions. to determine his own days, is gone. So, he often struggles with how to adjust to this new work environment and still be productive.

Whereas before he was clearly and independently responsible for his results, now he must achieve his results through other people. Too ofteni he defaults to a view of his job wherdin he becomes the "super salesperson," taking over accounts, projects and sales calls from his less talented charges. This creates frustration on all parts.

The exceptional salesperson has the ability and propensity to see every situation optimistically, overlooking all the obstacles and concentrating on the potential in every account. That is a necessary element to the sales personality. Without it, he couldn't weather all the rejection and frustration inherit in the sales job.

The personality strength that serves him well as a salesperson is, however, a major obstacle to his success as a sales manager. When it comes to hiring a new salesperson, he finds himself viewing every candidate through those same optimistic eyes.

- Dave Kahle, "The Growth Coach," is a sales consultant, trainer and author of six books and a free monthly "Thinking About Sales" ez,ine. Reach him at (800) 3 3 1 - I 2 87 : www.dav ekahle.com.

NATIONAL HO0-HOO-ETTE CLUB members f rom California. Oregon, and Washlngton n.ret at Circus Circus. Reno, Nv. May 16-18 for the group s 46th annual convention. Julia Richardson, U.S. Forest Serv ce. presented a program on sustainable foreslry, and new off cers were nstalled in a cand elight ceremony. (1) National v.p. I nda McGinnis. national treasurer Bev Sperry. national secretary Lynn

California Adopts Green Standards

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Keller nationa past presrdent Syma Gapski. (2) National president lva May van Noy, National Hoo-Hoo-E1te of the Year Roberta Sellars. Sher y Smith. nat onal hrstorian Emma Keller. (3) Nationa finance chair Ju ia Keller. Pat Barron. Nelda Jensen, Jan Arnold. (4) Natonal d rector #2 Gayle Denman. 2009 convent on cha r Norma Gavotto, national parliamentarian Susan Noah our erccn builcling stlndar(l ." slid Rosurio \,|arin. chrrirnrarr ol thc Clalilirrnir lluilclin! Stitndarcls ('ornntission. "ln luct.',r'c're thc f ir-st onc in thc uorlrl ancl uc ilnticipatc ()thcrs n ill lirllorv trs."

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LUMBER SALES, INC,

WHOLESALE ONLY MILL DIRECT & LCL

Anfinson Lumber is the clear choice for Quality Bedwood and Western Red Cedar Dimension, Boards, Patterns and Timbers

Ray lvlacDonald, General l\4anager Blair Simmons, Sales lvlanager

Darin Curran. 0utside Sales

Nelson Sembach, Redlands office appliances and increasing natural lighting to using low-flow toilets and planting drought-resistant vegetation. The code will be voluntary while the commission works on mandatory regulation that could take effect by the end of 2010 or beginning of 201 l.

Making buildings more efficient will help California reach its goal of reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 30Vo by 202O. Carbon emissions related to buildings represent about 25Vo of the state's total greenhouse gas emissions-second only to transportation, according to the Califomia Air Resources Board.

Robert Rivinius, president and c.e.o. of the California Building Industry Association, said the new statewide standards will help home builders move green building into the mainstream.

"California home builders are already building homes that are far more energy-efficient than homes built to national standards, and that also conserve water and other important natural resources. In fact, the carbon footprint of a new home built today is already 257o less than that of a home built in 1990."

Plum Parts With Montana Land

In one of the largest conservation land deals of its kind, Plum Creek Timber, Seattle, Wa., has sold about a quarter of its Montana holdings. The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land will manage the property as a working forest, although the U.S. government is expected to eventually take ownership of most of the land.

"Plum Creek has a strong history of conservation and is pleased to partner in the sale of this important land to accommodate the public interest in its ecological, recreational and timber production values," said president and c.e.o. Rick Holley.

The deal pleased environmentalists, who have criticized Plum Creek for selling land to private developers. Conservation groups will make sure the land remains open for recreational activities such as hunting and snowmobiling. According to the deal, timber harvested on the land will still go to lumber mills owned by Plum Creek for at least the next 15 years.

"The project truly represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sustain working forest lands that are the heart of Montana's rich quality of life and makes Montana special," Nature Conservancy's Jamie Williams said.