Professional competencies of a customer service manager. Manager competencies and their classification. Functions of the active type of sales manager

The developed competencies of a sales manager help in the sale of goods and services. Read the article about what skills and qualities to look for when selecting a specialist and how to check professional suitability.

From the article you will learn:

What are the competencies of a sales manager?

The competencies of a sales manager are the terms of reference regulated by law, charter or other regulations. They understand experience and knowledge in a certain field. The ability to perform job duties and work efficiency directly depend on the personal and professional qualities of a specialist.

When selecting personnel for a vacant position, create a position profile taking into account the field of activity. Rely on the job description, choose what qualities and knowledge a specialist should have. Keep in mind that the professional competencies of a sales manager are more developed among people with higher education and work experience. But you can choose young people with an active lifestyle who have just graduated from training programs for mid-level employees.

Reference: If sales in an organization have fallen, do not rush to fire managers and hire new specialists. Send employees to training. experts from the electronic magazine "" told.

Even more useful materials about competencies in the magazine

What competencies of a sales manager are important for the job?

A person who has developed key competencies helps promote the company’s brand and creates a positive image. Professional actions and skillful communication with clients help increase business profitability and reach a new level. Therefore, take the selection of a specialist seriously and determine his competencies.

Sales manager competencies: list

• Energy employee leads to increased labor efficiency. The manager strives for new things and is active. He's not scared big number projects, problem clients.
• Communication skills- a skill needed for successful negotiations. During a confidential conversation, the client becomes interested in the company's products and makes a transaction. The better the manager is in contact with consumers, the longer the relationship develops.
• Confidence in oneself, the organization and the products sold - the competence of a sales manager, which is liberating. The employee promotes the brand more actively, is not afraid to ask questions to clients, answer them, and advertise.
• Learning ability- quality, without which it is difficult to live up to. Constant changes in technologies, processes, and the emergence of new products and services oblige us to improve ourselves and grow professionally. If a person does not strive to obtain new information, it is difficult for him to communicate with clients, answer their questions, and make recommendations. It is not able to attract consumers and interest them.
• Customer focus, analytical skills help select the right products and present them.
• High stress resistance makes it possible to recover and not pay attention to problem clients. The employee does not feel a loss of strength or apathy, and continues to work actively after suffering stress.

The functional competencies of a sales manager depend on the field of activity. For those who are engaged in active sales, it is important to be able to make cold calls to clients, recruit agents, contact customers through recommendations, and look for contacts. Customer service employees must be diligent, diligent, and able to draw up documents.

Once the rapport has been established and the person feels comfortable, proceed directly to the competency-based interview for . Ask questions, ask to solve cases that will help reveal certain qualities. Monitor the applicant's reaction. Weed out the aggressive, silent and passive. They are not able to interest the employer in themselves, so it will be completely difficult to sell goods or services.

Do your homework to determine the competencies of a sales manager. that do not require a lot of time, ask them to do during the conversation. Select problems for which the answers are not publicly available. Otherwise, you will not be able to evaluate the applicant.

Practical situation

Case "Virtual department"

Company Y works with complex products, and its sales strategies and tactics include both work according to the B-to-C (business-to-customer) scheme, i.e. work with the end user - the organization, and B-to-B ( business-to-business), i.e. working with distributors and sales networks. In addition, the company periodically participates in large tender projects, which is the most difficult type of sales, since it is necessary to clearly structure the process and be able to…

Use other cases too to assess the aptitude for learning, style of communication with clients and colleagues, ability to sell, and interest. If necessary, change the characters and situations so as not to receive a pre-learned answer. Keep in mind that applicants are preparing for a competency-based interview by looking at many sources of information.

More details about conducting interviews based on competencies told in "Personnel System". From the material you will learn how to communicate with a job applicant, what to ask. It covers the "three pluses and three minuses" method, projective questions and much more. Based on a detailed algorithm of actions, you will successfully conduct an interview and select an effective salesperson.

The competencies of a sales manager may change over time, as professional burnout is possible. Problems in your personal life, fatigue, frequently changing market conditions and other factors negatively affect work efficiency. Therefore, motivate your employees so that they produce high results. Create an environment in the organization that is comfortable for the majority of employees.

A sales manager is a person who needs to make decisions independently, act quickly and respond adequately to the situation. The set of competencies depends on the specific position, on what company the person works for and what products they offer.

The experience of the MarksMan company shows that a specialist with precisely this set of competencies most effectively performs sales-related work. A sales manager is a person who needs to make decisions independently, act quickly and respond adequately to the situation.

A person cannot have more than five clearly expressed competencies; the rest, if present, are expressed to a lesser extent. When we interview a candidate, we focus on the three or four most important competencies for a certain position. The set of competencies depends on the specific position, on what company the person works for and what products they offer.

Sales can be “quick” and multi-stage, but in any case, the person who initiates the sale and leads it is responsible for the result. Therefore, competencies such as initiative and the ability to make independent decisions are among the most important for effective work in this area. If a sales manager is lacking initiative, this means that his work requires constant monitoring and intervention from management. Accordingly, the manager loses the most valuable thing - his own time - explaining obvious facts.

The main task in sales is the ability to convince a potential buyer to purchase products or services. If the manager is not convincing, this will immediately affect sales volumes, and for the company this will mean losses. After all, lack of results means lost profits.

Selling is a psychologically uncomfortable situation for most people, so stress tolerance for a sales manager is certainly important. Nowadays competition is especially high, the consumer has the right to choose from a large number of offers, and accordingly the chances of purchasing the products of this particular company are not so great. Of course, monopolists have a completely different attitude towards sales, since their products are unique on the market, and they simply have no reason to be nervous. Stress is a constant companion of a sales manager, because at different stages force majeure circumstances may occur: the customer may change his mind, market conditions may change. All this jeopardizes the implementation of certain plans that a person faces, and this, in turn, is a strong stress factor. If a person is not resistant to stress, then the employer runs the risk that the sales specialist will not work in a specific position for a long time. In addition, stress needs to be released somehow, and this can lead to conflict situations with colleagues, management or - in the worst case - with the client.

The ability to sell is, first of all, the ability to understand your buyer and create his trust. This skill can be acquired if the sales manager well understands the specifics of the buyer’s business for a particular product (this is especially important for corporate sales). The buyer's trust in the seller arises precisely on the basis of an understanding of common goals. To do this, the manager needs to be able to receive information, process it and build communication with the client. Customer orientation is also an important competency, since this is directly the ability to love the client. Only in this case can the sales manager build a successful and long-term relationship with the client. The buyer will return to the seller who takes into account his needs, and such a seller can count on repeat sales.

Knowledge:- Education doesn't matter. Knowledge of the industry, product, psychology, office organization is required. equipment, etc.

Personality: Type also does not play a serious role; I know both choleric people and complete phlegmatic people who successfully work in this field. The main thing is experience and professional skills. Of course, extroverts are much more common among sales managers than introverts.

Motivation: A sales manager is a job, first of all, for results. Classic motivation - % of sales. Representatives of this profession will not work for a fixed salary.

Table: Competencies of a sales manager

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

SALES MANAGER

Model of professional competencies of a sales manager developed by me in the process of organizing and conducting the Assessment Center in Russian companies. Here are the seller's competencies:

§ Corporate loyalty, commitment

§ Customer orientation skills, customer focus

§ Building contact with the client

§ Client interview. Presentation of company products and services

§ Skill in dealing with client objections

§ Skill in assessing client signals

§ Making a decision on a transaction

§ Formation of long-term satisfied clients

Competence:

CORPORATE LOYALTY, COMMITMENT

Competence:

CUSTOMER ORIENTATION SKILL, CLIENT-ORIENTED

Competence:

BUILDING CONTACT WITH THE CLIENT

Competence:

CLIENT INTERVIEW. PRODUCT PRESENTATION

AND COMPANY SERVICES

Competence:

SKILL OF WORKING WITH CLIENT OBJECTIONS

Competence:

SKILL OF EVALUATING CLIENT SIGNALS

Competence:

MAKING A DECISION ABOUT A TRANSACTION

Competence:

FORMATION OF A LONG-TERM SATISFIED CLIENT

The purpose of this review is to describe the profile of a sales manager, answering all the key questions. The successful work of a sales manager, like no other, depends on his personal and professional competencies. More precisely, it depends on their presence or absence. Therefore, at the stage of selecting sellers, it is very important to analyze in as much detail as possible which competencies are an indicator of their success, what is critical and what is secondary. It is for the successful implementation of this goal that there is a job profile, in this case a salesperson.

1. Position. The title of this position may sound different. Options can be manager/sales specialist with the prefix leading or junior. The main thing is that the name should be short and understandable.

2. Division. At this point, you need to note where exactly the employee will be included.

3. Company mission. Based on the company's mission, a competency model is developed for the corporate culture and for the ideal candidate. Sometimes the process is reversed, and corporate culture is formed spontaneously. The company's mission will never be able to take root without reformation and correction of the corporate culture.

4. Immediate supervisor. It is necessary to indicate the position of the person to whom the sales manager will directly report. You can also indicate to whom he will report during the absence of his immediate supervisor.

5. With whom does he interact? This lists all the departments with which the seller will come into contact during the work process. This could be accounting, logistics departments or a warehouse. If this point is clearly stated, then it will be extremely clear at what stages before and after the completion of the transaction he must control the process and who to contact in case of various questions.

6. Responsibilities. All responsibilities must be listed in order of importance.

• Attracting new clients through cold calling and meeting with clients
• Expanding the existing client base
• Preparation of commercial proposals in accordance with customer needs
• Active sales of all company services by phone and in person
• Negotiating to complete a deal and make sales
• Keeping the existing client base up to date by informing clients about new company services
• Answers to incoming inquiries from company clients
• Maintaining reporting and document flow, timely execution of commercial proposals and contracts, invoices, certificates of completed work, monitoring the availability of certificates of completed work

You can continue this list of functional responsibilities that a work manager performs in your company.

7. Professional knowledge/skills. This paragraph describes the requirements for the knowledge and skills of the seller. For example, a sales manager should know
- Technology for making cold calls
- Active sales techniques
- Negotiation techniques
Be able to:
- work with failures
- use the client’s refusal to identify his needs
- identify customer needs and satisfy them using the company’s product
- bring the deal to completion
- Maintain positive relationships with the company's clients
- use knowledge and experience gained in other areas for sales
- draw up a commercial proposal for a specific client
- draw up a work completion report.

8. Evaluation criteria. In this paragraph, you need to indicate by what parameters the sales manager’s performance will be assessed, including during the probationary period. They may be as follows
- Number of new clients
- Transaction turnover for the period
- Customer satisfaction (presence/absence of gratitude, complaints)
- Availability and number of repeat sales
- Speed ​​of response to incoming requests and other tasks.

9. Personal competencies (portrait of an ideal candidate).

Based on work tasks, it is necessary to identify personal competencies that allow and help to perform these tasks. Check yourself - whether the work is related to finding clients or not, with their retention and repeat orders, who your client is and what strategies for working with him are best to use, whether you have a long deal or short iterations, the amount of the check and the level of the client, the breadth of the assortment - everything this will help you carefully select the key personal competencies you need. The ideal way to construct this block - to arrange competencies in the table horizontally, and work tasks and nuances of work vertically. At the intersection of tasks and competencies, it will be easier for you to decide.

• Communication skills. Ability to find contact with strangers, highly developed active listening skills, the ability to correctly understand and identify the needs of the interlocutor, the ability to conduct a dialogue in the right direction, the ability to speak in front of an audience, correct literate speech, the ability to simply talk about complex things. Good diction. Ability to express thoughts clearly and structuredly, both orally and in writing. The ability to quickly grasp and use information received in a conversation. Ability to provide information by choosing the most appropriate communication channel. The ability to win over your interlocutor, regardless of the chosen communication channel.
• Initiative. The ability to plan your activities to achieve results, the desire to constantly increase your results, an active life position, the desire and ability to influence the environment and people. The ability to remain active at all stages of activity to achieve results. Ability to quickly answer questions and act independently under current conditions. Having the desire to do more than is required.
• Ability to negotiate. The ability to conduct dialogue in a business environment, build communication with business partners in such a way as to achieve results, the ability to achieve mutual understanding and build trusting long-term relationships with clients. Ability to provide appropriate arguments to demonstrate the benefits of a product. The ability to build cause-and-effect relationships to show how a product can satisfy customer needs. Ability to achieve customer loyalty to the company and product.
• Flexibility. Ability to choose appropriate communication methods to achieve results in different situations. The ability to respond to changes in the situation, external environment and choose an effective and adequate course of action for the current conditions. Ability to change methods of activity and communication depending on circumstances. The ability to accept criticism and feedback and adjust your actions based on the information received. The ability to quickly and correctly find a way out of the current situation. Ability to demonstrate friendly behavior under any circumstances.
• Customer orientation. Ability to help others achieve their goals. Ability to build positive and long-term relationships with clients and keep them up to date. The ability to find a way out of difficult situations with minimal losses. Ability to build communication with clients based on their interests. Desire to satisfy customer needs. Desire to receive feedback from clients and use it to improve your work. Ability to understand clients' businesses from the inside to better understand their needs.
• Resistance to stress. Ability to work under emotional stress, time pressure, pressure and opposition. The ability to quickly restore emotional balance after stressful situations. The ability to control one’s behavior regardless of the prevailing circumstances and conditions. Ability to anticipate the occurrence possible difficulties and go around them. The ability to overcome difficulties with minimal emotional costs. Having positive attitudes and the ability to use them to overcome stress.
• Discipline, responsibility. The ability to subordinate your actions to a developed strategy. Ability to act in accordance with developed rules. The ability to act without going beyond the given competence and authority. Ability to meet specified conditions and requirements.
• Learning ability. The ability to quickly assimilate new information, analyze and synthesize it, highlight the main key points. The ability to eliminate stereotypes from behavior if they do not bring results. The ability to effectively use, transfer and combine information obtained in different areas. Ability to transfer new knowledge and skills to other areas of activity. The desire to constantly develop, gain new information to achieve the desired result.

10. Educational requirements. The desired education or its options are indicated.

11. Experience requirements. Here you need to list the requirements that apply to employees holding this position. You should indicate which ones are required and which ones are optional.

• Experience in sales of services in the B2B sector
• Cold calling experience
• Negotiation experience
• Experience in active telephone sales
• Experience in preparing commercial proposals, contracts, certificates of completion (desirable).

12. PC skills. Depending on the conditions of the working environment, it is necessary to list those programs whose knowledge is necessary to work in this position.

The sales job profile described above contains a complete list of all requirements for a sales manager. Of course, to work in each individual company, you need to choose only those that will be in demand specifically there. Since there are many types of sales managers, the gradation of competencies should be different. So, for a telephone sales manager, the first priority will definitely be the ability to actively listen to the interlocutor and correctly work with objections, while using flexibility and the ability to achieve the goal. A salesperson's job profile may also include short description working conditions, such as schedule, size of fixed and bonus components wages, a system of rewards and penalties.

Do you have a complex seller profile, do you need help with development or selection?

Today, leaders find themselves in an environment of constant change and uncertainty. Some of his tasks lose their value and disappear, others are transformed and change in some way. At the same time, new tasks appear that require even greater restructuring of professional activities.

At the same time, organizations feel an urgent need for new management methods, professional leaders and managers.

Businesses need leaders who build their relationships with the organization and employees on the principles of professionalism, cooperation, mutual respect and inclusion, as well as a clear understanding of mutual obligations.

There is a need for new knowledge and skills necessary for a modern manager.

In this article we will look at:

• What are competencies: essence and success factors;
• Best practices for researching competency models;
• Business trends that change the accepted view of competencies;
• Seven competencies of a modern manager;
• Professional quality;
• Recommendations for developing competencies.

WHAT ARE COMPETENCIES: ESSENCE AND SUCCESS FACTORS

The concept of competence is associated with the name of Aristotle, who studied “the capabilities of the human condition, denoted by the Greek “Atere” - “a power that has developed and improved to such an extent that it has become characteristic feature personality."

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of competence and competency.

Competence is a set of qualities and abilities that a person acquires in the process of learning and working on himself.

Competence represents itself subject area, which a specialist must be well versed in.

In other words, competence is the abilities and qualities that a person possesses, and competence is a set of knowledge and areas that he must possess in order to fully perform his professional duties.

The concept of “competence” is used to assess the level of a person’s qualifications in individual issues, problems, but not in professional activities as a whole.

These are, first of all, the following personality qualities:

• Independence;
• Ability to make responsible decisions;
• Creative approach to any business;
• The ability to bring it to completion;
• Ability to constantly learn;
• Flexibility of thinking, presence of abstract, systematic and experimental thinking;
• Ability to conduct dialogue and communication skills;
• Ability to cooperate, etc.

Each type of management activity has its own special competencies. They demonstrate the employee’s strengths and abilities that he needs to improve; competencies also determine best way doing the work. The number of competencies must correspond to the number of tasks included in the manager’s professional responsibilities.

The core of competencies is “skills”. Their combination and interrelation forms a competency model.

Examples of professional competencies: delegation, coaching, management, independent work, customer orientation, collaboration, interpersonal skills, organization, process orientation, proactiveness, inspiration, determination, persuasion, etc.

BEST PRACTICES IN COMPETENCY MODELS

1. American competency model.

The American tradition of competency research is behaviorally centered. Researchers study “people-at-work”, and the concept of “competence” is deciphered through individual characteristics manifested in behavior: personal characteristics, motives, values, habits, self-image, knowledge, skills.

In fact, competencies in this approach are certain “containers” filled with various contents.

Some researchers, in particular T. Hoffmann, believe that the American competency model is an overly simplified view of things. It is necessary to examine the people who perform the job effectively, rather than the knowledge and skills that facilitate independent performance of the job.

A key feature of the American approach is the use of leadership concepts to develop competency ideas, especially to integrate issues of individual and organizational competencies.

Thus, the American model of competency research considers competencies as a description of employee behavior. Competence in this is the main characteristic of an employee, with which he is able to demonstrate correct behavior and, as a result, achieve high results at work.

2. European competency model.

In addition to the American tradition of studying competencies and applying competency models in practice, other approaches are also being developed, which are fundamentally different both in tasks and content. The most developed of the non-American views on the problem of competencies is the British approach, largely associated with the development of the education system.

The UK Department of Education has adopted a special competency model developed by J. Chetham and J. Chivers.

This model, according to progressive researchers, acts as a new stage in the development of the idea of ​​competencies, since (unlike the basic American models) it does not just assume a set of competencies, but tries to determine their relationship.

As a result, a special “tetrahedron of competencies” appears, including:

• Cognitive competencies (knowledge and understanding based on formal training and experience);
• Functional competencies (skills, special abilities that a person can demonstrate in his field);
• Personal competencies (understanding of how to behave in specific situations, motivation aimed at increasing the effectiveness of activities),
• Ethical competencies (values, position on the basis of which decisions are made and actions are taken), meta-competence (the ability to respond positively to criticism, cope with difficult situations).

A distinctive feature of the British approach is the fact that competencies are considered precisely as requirements for an employee from the tasks (workplace).

What is important to the British approach is that a person can demonstrate specific skills in practice, being able to do what is required within the work standards, and it is this approach that underpins training and development programs.

THREE BUSINESS TRENDS CHANGING THE HABITUAL VIEW OF COMPETENCIES:

1. The ever-increasing speed of change in the business environment.

Previously, there was a popular change management model that included three stages: unfreezing the situation, implementing changes and freezing the situation. IN modern world these stages merge. They no longer make sense, because there is a constant process in which it is simply impossible to distinguish the stages of thawing and freezing.

2. Changing the role of people in business.

If earlier people were needed to perform simple work, then in the modern world there is a great need for people who can perform complex species work, make important decisions, take on greater responsibility. On the one hand, there is a technical complication that implies a higher level of intelligence of potential employees. On the other hand, a person is required to have a new level of understanding of what he is doing.

What is the purpose of being a cleaner in a supermarket? If she believes that she must “clean to keep it clean,” then it becomes clear why customers evoke negative emotions in her - they prevent her from achieving her goal. If the answer is “creating comfortable conditions for the client,” then this indicates a different level of understanding of the activity being performed and complicates this activity.

What kind of people does business need now in an increasingly competitive environment? Of course, capable of deep understanding of their work.

3. People have a choice.

First of all, the choice appears for those who are able to perform complex and valuable types of work.

One can imagine a manager’s competence as a combination of three spheres of his existence in the organization (by the degree of their expression and dominance one can judge the manager’s level of competence):

• Activity I CAN – formed by professional training);
• Feelings I WANT – is formed by upbringing and organizational culture);
• Thoughts I KNOW – it is formed by education).

SEVEN COMPETENCIES OF A MODERN MANAGER

Modern researchers of the American and European approaches identify 7 main competencies of modern managers.

1. Orientation towards results, achievements.

The ability to be responsible for the implementation of decisions, the ability to set new ambitious goals upon achieving previous ones. Task-oriented and relationship-oriented behavior.

2. Flexibility.

The ability to quickly and adequately respond to emergency situations, see and identify a problem, find ways to solve it, assemble a team for implementation, and evaluate the results.

3. Ability to learn, self-learning.

Learning ability, sensitivity to new methods and technologies, ability to apply new things in practice. Ability for self-analysis. Willingness to analyze your achievements and shortcomings, look at familiar things with different eyes, and wisely use other people's experience.

4. Influence, ability to persuade.

The ability to defend one's own opinion. Use logic when conducting constructive conversations. Mastery of influence techniques. The ability to identify and use people's motives. Ability to ask the right questions and determine the level of awareness and emotional condition partner.

5. The ability to hear others and accept feedback.

The ability to create channels of two-way communication - abstract from your opinions and thoughts, concentrate on the words of your interlocutor. Good auditory and visual memory. Possession different ways feedback. Ability to effectively encourage and criticize others.

6. Presentation and negotiation skills.

Ability to determine the goals and objectives of the presentation, the interests of the audience. Constructing an effective introduction, connecting phrases, the main part and conclusion of the presentation. Mastery of persuasion strategies and public speaking skills. Knowledge of the stages of an effective negotiation process. The ability to determine the interests of participants and choose the best alternative. Ability to discuss, propose, and conduct positional bargaining. Mastery of manipulation techniques and the ability to resist them.

7. Customer focus.

Knowledge of customer service policies and standards. Focus on current and future customer needs. Ability to behave correctly with different types"difficult" clients. Ability to build partnerships with clients, ability to recognize additional opportunities and risks in relationships with clients.

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES OF A MANAGER

Research on the analysis and identification of professional qualities of highly qualified managers, conducted by the Institute of Applied Research (USA) for 18 years and covering a total of 1,500 people, showed that the most important are 10 qualities of a modern manager, the main of which require strategic preparation:

• Strong ability for strategic planning and forecasting;
• Making correct and timely forward-looking decisions on the allocation and distribution of resources;
• The desire to increase the number of their responsibilities by expanding the scale of activity or as a result of moving to a higher level of work;
• Outstanding ability to make creative and rational decisions in high-risk environments. Avoiding prolonged stay in the “comfort zone”;
• Exceptional self-confidence: failures are perceived only as temporary troubles;
• The desire to have significant rights and, therefore, bear greater responsibility;
• Significant inclinations towards intuitive foresight and abstract analysis of the development of complex processes and critical situations;
• Understanding work as the main value into which all abilities and strengths are invested. Having a sense of “internal assessment” of one’s actions, which are not always consistent with others;
• Focusing on solving the problem rather than identifying the culprits. Desire to work with subordinates who are not afraid of risk and know how to make independent decisions;
• Devoting one’s own life to implemented ideas and the results of their implementation.

Most companies adhere to the principle: “We must develop weak sides" Progressive researchers have found that if a leader has at least one of the seven competencies mentioned above developed to the level of 90%, then the effectiveness of the organization or department he heads increases significantly.

Accordingly, people can focus on what they already enjoy doing and achieve high results. And it is their strengths that are worth developing. At the same time, of course, one cannot ignore those competencies that received below-average grades.

When an organization spends all its energy working with “average” competencies, trying to improve them, it ends up with mediocre leaders. An outstanding manager grows on those competencies that are initially well developed.

Think Steve Jobs or Jack Welch. Each of them had shortcomings. But they also had 1-2 abilities that were developed to an extraordinary level. That’s what made them great leaders.”

In conclusion, we note that the development of professional competencies and qualities of a modern manager requires a revision of the usual approaches to training; they should be based on an effective competency model that meets business requirements, market trends and the specifics of the company.

Contact the Sales Academy center, our specialists will help you and direct the potential of your employees to new opportunities and growth of your company.