First-Time Sales Managers: 4 Tips to Help You Crush Your Numbers

Even for top performers, the transition from sales rep to sales manager can involve a steep learning curve. It introduces a completely new set of challenges, ones that you may not have had to deal with when you worked alone. If you’ve recently made the jump, Pantheon VP Sales & Business Development Scott Crawford has four pieces of advice that can help you get up and running and crushing your numbers faster and more effectively.

4 First-Time Sales Managers Tips

1) Not all reps are created equal
Reps differ in their personality. You have to recognize that you can’t take the same approach for everyone and expect it to be equally effective. Take the time to determine the best motivators and management styles for each, and the quicker you identify who is coachable, who isn’t, and who you can set loose and go hands off with, the better. That way you can put each member of your team in the right environment to succeed within the organization.
2) They’re not like you
As a sales manager, you not only need to have the ability to work with and handle strong, demanding personalities, you also need to remember that you’re no longer just another one of the guys and gals.
3) You can’t just walk in and command leadership
You have to put yourself in a position in which you will be adding value. By understanding the market, the competition, your product, and inserting yourself into the day-to-day and long-term cadence with your team it will demonstrate your relevance. You have to grow into the leadership position, rather than simply walk in and command it.  
4) You still have to work in the trenches
Rather than having your own territory and knowing your deals inside and out, as a sales managers you have to work in the detail for several reps. The role of the sales manager is vital to the growth of a successful company. To be successful you must have emotional maturity, drive, desire, and the ability to lead people.
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