WIND IN YOUR SALES -- Recent research leaves no doubt that managers can make or break senior living sales. Are your leaders steering or sinking your efforts?

Executives in any field would agree that sales managers play a pivotal role in maintaining and growing a healthy business.  They are the ones charged with keeping all the balls in the air while motivating staff toward fulfilling the company's goals.  At best, they are strategic thinkers with excellent people and team management skills.  But at worst, they can send quality sales staff packing, leaving providers in a lurch. Now senior living executives have the research to back these experiences - a valuable tool not only for staffing purposes but for also developing effective sales strategies.

The study, conducted by the Center for Applied Sales Research (CASR), focuses on senior living sales managers and how their positive contributions and leadership skills can translate into value-added strategies - or thwart even the best laid plans.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Among the most compelling results of the CASR Sales Management Value-Added Survey are the stories senior living sales staff share, like this one: "My worst sales manager told me all year long that I was doing a great job, spent no time in the field with me, only to slam me with the worst review ever!"

Feedback like this doesn't provide quantitative data, but it does illustrate a negative behavior (i.e. what not to as a sales manager) and helps identify managerial mistades that may hinder sales efforts in the senior living market.  Overall, research results include verbatim findings as well as responses to specific questions that can help providers develop targeted sales strategies. Note that the survey is still open and that these findings are based on preliminary returns; the CASR will issue a final report later this year.

The survey focuses on answering these questions:

• How can sales managers add value to the selling efforts of their sales people?
• What can they do or not do to make a positive difference?
• What values have shaped sales managers' perspectives and influenced their personal and professional growth?