Biggest Challenges Faced by a Director of Sales at DHL
Luigi, DHL's Director of Sales, identifies the biggest challenge as the indirect impact of team members' performance on overall results: "If one territory tanks significantly, it can have a large impact on the entire team," unlike the direct control experienced as an individual contributor. This leadership role also presents challenges stemming from managing diverse team member motivations and potential interpersonal conflicts.
Leadership, Team Management, Sales, Revenue Generation, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Luigi Ramelah
Director of Sales
DHL
Temple University
UCLA Anderson School of Management - MBA
Philosophy
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Sales and Client Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Managing a large team across multiple geographies and the impact of individual performance on overall team success.
2. Dealing with the varied motivations and challenges of team members, including those who may be unmotivated or difficult to work with.
3. The indirect nature of the impact of a manager's work, as compared to the direct impact of an individual contributor's work
Transcript
Biggest challenge in your role?
What is the biggest challenge in the role as director of sales? Sometimes saying the same things that are rewarding can be. When you're an individual contributor, you have direct control over your work. If you put forth a bad product, you don't really have anybody to blame but yourself.
But when you're managing a team, and a big team, if one person, especially again with the size of the geographies that we have and the revenue that's tied to the geographies, if one territory tanks significantly, it can have a large impact on the entire team. That's not necessarily reflecting the work that I'm doing.
So, I think that's the biggest challenge. Leading people sometimes can be a challenge because they might not be as motivated, or sometimes people are ornery or litigious, whatever.
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