A Successful Manager

Dec 10

Written By Morten Storm

Transitioning from a successful sales rep to a sales manager requires a unique skill set.

Leaders with high attainment and low turnover at HubSpot share essential tips for excelling in this dynamic role:

Lay a Robust Foundation: Craft a strong operating model as the bedrock for successful sales strategies. Hailey Linz emphasizes the importance of meticulous assembly for execution.
Motivate in Personalized Ways: Understand each sales rep's motivation, build a culture of feedback, and keep them accountable for success. Fancy Lai suggests balancing motivation, feedback, and accountability for individual and team success.
Establish a Supportive Network: Combat burnout by creating a supportive network. Lai recommends recognizing the mental and emotional toll of the role and having tools in place for support.
Recognize the Crucial Processes: Define and track clear, measurable processes for sales, forecasting, hiring, and issue diagnosis. Clear processes are vital for balancing, improving, and measuring the team .
Practice Servant Leadership: Prioritize the success and well-being of the team. Shift the focus from individual achievements to empowering the team for collective success. This fosters a high-performing sales force.
Empower Through Mentoring: Guide, mentor, and develop team members for independent problem-solving and decision-making. Empowering individuals leads to improved job satisfaction and performance.
Always Be Hiring: Proactively address future hiring needs to maintain a pipeline of potential candidates. Being selective ensures the best fit for the team and company culture.
Prioritize Time and Energy: Recognize limitations and focus on areas with the best return on time investment. Efficient management maximizes impact on sales targets and goals.
Embrace Shared Accountability: Encourage everyone on the team to take responsibility, fostering a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
Connect to a Cause: Help the team understand and embrace the "why" behind their work. Align activities with motivations for better performance.
Focus on Developing People: A sales manager's legacy is about the growth and success of team members. Enhance skills and capabilities for better performance .
Build Trust with Leadership: Create a positive work environment, and establish mutual trust and respect with leadership for overall success.
Recognize and Celebrate Achievements: Celebrate successes, even post-team, fostering a culture of support and appreciation. This leads to higher employee engagement and a stronger team dynamic.
Cultivate and Develop Others: Prioritize cultivating and developing others amid day-to-day challenges. This progression is key to a sales manager's impact and legacy.