Remember the television show "Superman?" (Ok, I'm showing my age here. I admit it.) But whenever there was trouble in Metropolis, Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, would look for the nearest phone booth, rip off his tie, change into his Superman outfit and rush to the aid of a troubled city. You would, of course, wonder what the police were doing all this time because they had come to expect Superman to save the day. They didn't have to lift a finger. Superman would take care of the problem.

Some sales managers think of themselves as Superman. That's the viewpoint of Dirk Beveridge, president of 4th Generation Systems, a sales management and consulting firm, who outlined the similarities during a recent seminar sponsored by INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION magazine.

Beveridge pointed out that sales managers often are too ready to take over the sales-person's role whenever a problem occurs. Rather than let the salesperson handle the problem or complaint, Beveridge said sales managers are too willing to put out the fire and then go on to the next case.

It's a key problem for managers, he said. Salespeople should be allowed to solve the problem themselves and learn from their mistakes (if they make them), having accountability and responsibility for their territories—with the backing and support of the sales manager.

One sales manager I talked to after the seminar said he saw himself acting in the wrong role on more than one occasion. "It was tough at first, separating yourself from being a sales manager rather than a salesperson," he said. That's understandable, since most sales managers are often promoted because they're the top salespeople, but have little, or no, management experience. Some secretly long to be on the road again, making presentations in front of clients rather than serving in managerial roles.

Beveridge mentioned a quote from Facing The Forces of Change, published by the National Assn. of Wholesaler-Distributors, to drive home his point. "The days when a salesperson could be encouraged to 'run his own business' are long gone. Management must establish an expectation of accountability and a system to insure ongoing implementation," it says.

He stressed sales managers in today's industrial marketplace need to be coaches and mentors, rather than serving in a Superman role in order to ensure salespeople are being developed to their highest potential.

It's not bad advice.

jkeough@reedbusiness.com