Working under a competent, engaged business development manager can be rewarding both personally and fiscally.

On the contrary, working under a superior who is withdrawn, incompetent and who does not care about their subordinates' well-being will prove to stagnate any career.

Either prior to taking a job or considering leaving your current sales position, here are some measurements you can use when assessing whether a particular sales manager is worth your professional time or whether they can headaches, aggravation and an unpleasant workplace.

1. What are the individual's business development training methods?

Whether or not a sales manager is hands-on tells a lot about the person and tells even more about your future prospects working at his / her company.

Business development executives who do not train and are not committed to growing their subordinates are not worth your time as if you are not advancing in your career, what is the point of employment at the firm?

2. What do his / her superiors think about them?

What a sales manager's bosses think about them will give you very strong insight as to what type of individual this person is.

Senior management of any company likes leadership. Subordinates in any company need leadership and direction.

Let senior management tell you if the sales manger has the ability to lead and whether they command the respect of those above them.

3. How good are they at selling?

The last thing you want as an employee is to be under a sales manager who cannot sell themselves.

To be a good sales coach and mentor, sales managers need to have solid business development techniques and need to be to help the sales force when they get into a jam or need additional assistance.

Sales managers who are not very competent at selling tend to be less secure than managers who are proven salesmen / saleswomen.

When you get a sales manager who is not secure in their selling methods, chances are likely that the manager will not get along with the more apt sales professionals in the group.