From Great Sales Person to Great Sales Manager

Do great salespeople make great sales managers? This question continues to occupy the minds of sales people interested in furthering their career as managers, as well as those who are charged with building a team of high performing sales managers. In most cases, sales managers are former salespeople. They know the "job" of the salesperson and typically garner the respect of the direct reports based on their own record of success when they "carried the bag". However, successfully "carrying the bag" is not the sole predictor for answering our question, do great salespeople make great sales managers?

Prior to making the leap from salesperson to sales manager, there are a few things one should consider.

1.	How the sales person role differs from the role of a sales manager. Successful salespeople are generally known as "individual contributors". That is, they are only responsible for themselves and their own actions. Becoming a sales manager is like being invited behind the curtain at a Broadway play, your entire perspective changes. In addition to being responsible for your own performance, you are now responsible for the performance of your direct reports, your entire district, and the company's name.
2.	It's not about YOU anymore. When given the choice, most people choose to look at themselves in a mirror versus looking at others. Being an activity-based salesperson is all about YOUR successes and YOUR talents. The second you become a manager of people, it is no longer about YOU, it starts being about those you manage and lead. That's right. Coaching, teaching, supporting, and removing roadblocks for your employees become your passion. Their wins become your wins. Their letdowns become your letdowns. It's striking how many managers think leading is entirely about their own performance.
3.	A great sales manager is a great human resources manager Difficulty dealing with all the different personalities of those you manage is the reason many top salespeople fail in the transition to manager. There are people who demand perfection, those who love to hear themselves talk (loud mouths), some who love office politics, and those who love "drama". With so many different types of personalities at work, understanding ourselves and moderating our responses is a necessary skill for sales managers.

Before you make the leap from salesperson to sales manager, knowing the answers to these three questions is important. First, do I clearly understand the role differences? Second, can I honestly become more "we" focused and less "me" focused? And lastly, do I genuinely possess the necessary people skills to lead others?