Overcoming Challenges for New Sales Managers

Managing a Sales Team Overcoming Challenges for New Sales Managers

Transitioning From Salesperson to Sales Manager

Whether you’ve recently transitioned from salesperson to manager, or you want to brush up on the basics, one fact holds true—the skills that make you a great salesperson won’t guarantee your success as a sales manager.

So, what are the crucial differences you need to understand in order to succeed in your role?

In this lesson, we’ll explore the distinction between a salesperson and a sales manager. We’ll also cover common challenges for new managers, along with actionable tips to make the transition a success.

Watch this video to learn how selling is different from managing a team of salespeople—and how to overcome challenges as you transition into a management role.

Salespeople vs. Sales Managers

First, let’s look at what sets salespeople apart from sales managers. Explore the flashcards below to learn how focus is a key difference between the two roles:

Hover over each card to reveal more information.

Tap on each card to reveal more information.

Salespeople

Salespeople are individual contributors. Their focus is on their own development, results, and success.

Sales Managers

Sales managers are leaders. Their focus is on others’ development, results, and success.

Personal performance is top of mind for salespeople, while team performance is a sales manager’s benchmark of success.

So, what does this look like in practice? How do the characteristics of high-performing salespeople and sales managers contrast? Examine the tables below for a side-by-side comparison.

High-Performing Salespeople

- Are highly competitive

- Set ambitious personal goals

- Focus on immediate results

- Find satisfaction in their personal performance

- Work directly with potential clients and customers

- Have skills valuable to the sales process, such as prospecting, negotiating, and product knowledge

High-Performing Sales Managers

- Are supportive and encouraging

- Set realistic team goals

- Focus on long-term results

- Find satisfaction in their team’s performance

- Mentor, train, and supervise a team of salespeople

- Have skills valuable to management, like hiring, coaching, and delegating tasks

The bottom line: As a sales manager, your focus will no longer be on making the sale. Rather, you’ll serve as a guide and resource to your team, coaching them to be better salespeople.

Overcoming Challenges as a New Sales Manager

Now that you know how the roles of salespeople and sales managers are different? If so, what can you expect during your transition? Click through the slide interaction below to see three challenges you may encounter as a new sales manager—and actionable tips to overcome each.

Challenge 1

Fewer Training Resources

The first challenge is fewer training resources. In general, salespeople have well-traveled professional development paths they can take to help them succeed. For example, as a salesperson, you have a sales process to follow. You may receive regular coaching and training. And, at times, you could even be showered with recognition and rewards for exceptional performance.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case for sales managers. Many new managers have to dive in without much structure, support, or guidance. So, what can you do to prepare yourself for your role if training resources on the ground are thin?

Opportunity 1

Explore alternative sources of management training. While some companies might not provide training to new sales managers, you still have options. Learn about sales management by taking an e-learning course, reading a sales management book, or even reaching out to an expert for advice. Tip: Don’t stop acquiring skills and knowledge. Even as you become more comfortable in your new role, continue learning and growing.

Establish a management process. Just as salespeople follow a sales process, managers can use a methodology to keep them on track. Determine your recurring tasks. Then, create a plan for getting your important work done. That way, you can take a strategic—rather than a reactive—stance in your new role.

Challenge 2

Murky Lines of Authority

Murky lines of authority can present the next challenge. As a new sales manager, you may face hurdles in positioning yourself as a leader—especially if you’re being promoted at your current company. Once one of the gang, you might now find yourself in charge of your former colleagues. This shift in power can breed resentment and confusion among your team. So, what can you do to establish your authority, while not overstepping your bounds or micromanaging?

Opportunity 2

Consider the following strategies:

Defuse problems early on. Ignoring uncomfortable issues and hoping they’ll magically resolve themselves is understandable. It’s also unrealistic. That’s why, if you notice discontent or confusion among your team about your role, you should tackle the situation head-on. Meet with a disgruntled team member one on one so you can hear them out and address their concerns. They’ll respect you more for not shying away from problems.

Set goals for your team. Goal-setting is a positive way to establish your authority. It also gives your team something to work toward—de-emphasising personnel changes. When you take charge of the team’s direction, you demonstrate your focus on team achievement.

Challenge 3

Relinquishing Control

The final challenge is relinquishing control. Stepping back from the sales process can be difficult when you move into management. It’s tempting to swoop in and sort out mistakes. However, the best sales managers know when to back off and let their salespeople sell. You can do this by equipping your teams to meet their goals.

Opportunity 3

Here’s how:

Act as a mentor. As the saying goes, “Experience is the best teacher.” And while we do learn from our personal wins and losses, we also can learn from others’ experiences. So, dip into your own sales background to mentor your team. Use role-playing to help your teammates navigate common sales challenges, such as giving a compelling sales pitch or handling a client’s objection.

Empower your sales team. Have you ever tried to do a job without the right tools? It’s frustrating and often doesn’t turn out right. Selling is no different. Salespeople need resources and information to sell effectively. Product guides, pricing and discount information, and competitive intelligence briefs are some of the resources you may want to supply to your sales team.

Summary

Transitioning to sales management is exciting—but can feel daunting. As a new sales manager, expect road bumps like:

- Fewer training resources
- Murky lines of authority
- Relinquishing control

Having concrete ideas to overcome these challenges will help you to set yourself up for success.

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Don’t Give Up

As with most changes in life, the transition from salesperson to sales manager can be a learning experience. It may be uncomfortable at first, and you may even feel like calling it quits sometimes. But don’t give up. Continue to learn and improve, and—most importantly—continue to show up. Before long, you’ll have navigated your new role, and you’ll be prepared to overcome challenges and achieve success as a sales manager.

“Sales management, like any other job, can be learned. There is no such thing as a ‘born leader.’”

– Karl Graf

Summary

A move into sales management is a common career step for seasoned salespeople. However, the two roles differ greatly. Salespeople focus on their individual success, while sales managers focus on their team’s success. As a result, the required skills, day-to-day tasks, and objectives of a salesperson often don’t align with those of a sales manager. Understanding these differences before you move into a management role will ease your transition. You can also prepare for the challenges that often arise during this process, including:

Strategies like establishing a management process, defusing problems early on, and empowering your team with resources can set you up for long-term success as a sales manager.

Your ability to put the right people, goals, tools, and processes in place will make the difference between a struggling team and a successful one. Let’s look at sales processes, in particular, in the next lesson.

Click on “Mark Complete ✓“.

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