By far, the most common sales managers are those who used to be sales reps. Let’s discuss why this is.
Company Motivation
First, it’s an “easy button” for upper management and HR. Who better understands salespeople than other salespeople? This allows the company to show that it promotes from within. It also indicates that strong-performing individuals have a career path up.
Second, when a sales manager position opens up, who are the likely people to know and apply for the position? And how likely will HR or upper management know where to recruit from this position outside the organization? Like salespeople, companies usually don’t know where or how to source sales management talent.
Next, the mostly flawed logic that a top-performing rep will replicate themselves. Spoiler alert they won’t. No Type 1 sales manager or sports player/coach has ever been able to replicate themselves. Think of Magic Johnson coaching the Lakers…total disaster. Managers who try to replicate themselves are automatically set up to fail. The other reps are not like them, or they would already be top-performing. Make sure you set expectations and then perform a behavioral interview around this strategy, or disaster awaits.
Last, who thinks they understand what the sales manager does every day better than sales reps who have worked side by side with the manager throughout their tenure with the organization? This last one is dangerous for the sales rep applying for the position and for HR or upper management to agree with this logic.
Applicant Motivation
What drives a well-performing rep to apply for the sales manager position?
First, the ability to get out of the rat race. Many salespeople I see apply for this position are just tired. They are exhausted and anxiety-ridden about carrying a quota every month/quarter. For many, this leads to burnout. Without a good sales manager to help them through this, the open sales manager position looks like a way out. The sales rep must understand, that moving to sales manager leads to a bigger quota, not no quota. Is this a trade they want to make?
Next, despite being side-by-side with the sales manager for however long the rep has been with the organization, they don’t have a good handle on what the sales manager does. By observation, they think they understand what the sales manager has been doing and believe they can do this job. When appointments are over, the rep follows up, prepares for the next steps, continues prospecting, etc. The sales manager has never-ending administrative tasks, other reps to check on, meetings to prepare for, and any proactive tasks they can fit into their schedule to try and get ahead. This is why I see so many sales managers who feel stuck behind a desk replying to emails and not finding ways to interact and help their reps.
Another motivation is the promise of more money. This is a misunderstanding by not having all the information. The best compensation plans I have seen within companies will pay a top-performing rep better than a top-performing sales manager. For the record, I 100% agree that is how it should be. If a sales manager wants more money, find more top-performing reps. This becomes a new challenge if the rep has the correct motivation.
Lastly, the better motivation. The rep wanting to promote has aspirations to lead and make those around them better. They understand they are taking a pay cut. They don’t care. Developing people becomes the primary driver of what they want to do. These are the sales managers that last. These are the sales managers who perform the longest at the highest levels.
Success
Companies looking for new sales managers can succeed by promoting from within. The first step is for HR and upper management to avoid the path of least resistance. Second, don’t fall victim to the idea of top performers “replicating” themselves. If the company is committed to the process, recruitment of the next sales manager begins before you need that role. What are you doing today to give development chances to top-performing sales reps to see if they want this role should it come open? Giving reps the insight ahead of time helps them see what happens day-to-day.
For the salespeople applying, what is their motivation? If we cannot trust them to self-assess (which is normal for all people), then you have to protect the company, the sales team, and this rep with a solid behavioral interview to get to the honest answer of what is driving them to apply for this role. If you are certain, it is peer development, they have passed the first gate and you are likely on the road to a better-performing sales manager.
Outcomes
In my experience, Type 1 sales managers outnumber Type 2 sales managers by 5:1 or more. Despite this weighted difference, I have seen similar success percentages of both types. Better behavioral interviewing and better candidate pool selection will improve the company’s odds of a good sales manager with a long tenure regardless of sales manager Type.