pirate

🦜☠️ Account Executive

3 New Managers in 3 Years

I'm turning 30 in December and in the past 3 years as AE I've had 3 freshly appointed managers. What's with all the 3s.

First had been in position for a year, she was alright but had a tough time pushing herself internally and didn't come from a sales background, but raised from SE background. Second I had a joy of starting in the position together with my new manager so it was a lot of learning. I felt like he was always a top performer so managing a team where some people missed wasn't really something he understood and all his tactics were from Enterprise reps, not SMB. Then I was manager less for 6 months and now I am reporting to someone who's sort of practicing for manager position but still has own patch to manage.

Can I demand that I get a seasoned manager? Have you noticed a difference between freshly appointed and experienced managers in terms of performance and learning?

🧢 Sales Management

🎯 Career Development

17

26 comments

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Pachacuti

Politicker

5

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

What do you really need a manager for? You need someone to tell you what to do everyday?

Managers appreciate people who are self sufficient. Don’t beg a manager because you’ll probably get someone you hate.

Manage yourself. And learn to manage up. I tell my boss what I need. I expect the same of my people. If they don’t tell me what they need, I assume all is fine. I give them the rope to hang themselves with if they screw up and all the glory when they win.

Sunbunny31

Politicker

4

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Counterpoint - I largely agree with you. HOWEVER, after several months of not having a manager during one particular rough patch at my previous employer, I finally got an amazing, driven manager. She made a huge difference - primarily to cutting through the bullshit and eliminating internal hurdles. With her partnership, we were able to bring in a very large, improbable deal, because they were asking for something unusual. Definitely something we could do, but it took some imagination and a lot of sponsorship. She provided the push to get the internal sponsorship. It would have been 1000x more difficult without her. So I'll say I do love to be left alone, but there are exceptions.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yes exactly this is.

jefe

Arsonist

0

🍁

100%

Phillip_J_Fry

Opinionated

2

Director of Revenue

This. Some of my favorite points in my career were when I had no manager for long stretches. No one to micromanage, or randomly interrupt my day to pull some random af report out of the CRM. No one sticking their grubby fingers in my deals without context and fucking them up.
You get to come in and run your business the way you want to run it without outside interference.

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yes. I won't beg for manager if I don't have. My point is if I get one, please give me more experienced one.

waterjugsales

Politicker

4

Account Executive @ Funemployed

Lucky bastard, I had 3 managers in my 1 year at my previous company before getting laid off

I agree tho with others, most were just additional support when needed. Didn’t really rely on them outside of approvals and having backup on calls, forecast calls

It’s more just the continuity, being able to know that I know how they operate and not having to readjust to a new style all of the time due to switching teams around constantly.

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Very good point. What I want to avoid is new manager who uses me as practice wheels...

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

3

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

If you need a manager to motivate you - educate you - tell you the best practice and everything; then you don't really need a manager. You need a mentor.
Finding a mentor in your team shouldn't be a tough task.

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Finding people who are good and have knowledge of my market is pretty impossible

AnchorPoint

Politicker

3

Business Coach

You definitely have the right to question the organization's decision making capabilities

Kosta_Konfucius

Politicker

3

Sales Rep

You can demand, but I doubt that will change anything
Turnover is so common with sales leadership if they are seasoned they get promoted again
And if they dont get promoted but seasoned, they probably arent a good manager

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Yes and I think recently a lot of sales manager roles were cut so good point Kosta

2

Retired Sales Professional

Well pirate unless you have leverage unfortunately you take what you get when it comes to managers.

Its true that some sales people who are great at what they do, don't always turn out to be great managers and I understand your frustration with managers who are wet behind the ears.

But the only thing i can suggest is that you don't get caught up in that mess and just continue to do what do best. Curious, if you were in that position for 6 month why did they not give you the position?

HVACexpert

Politicker

2

sales engineer

Why don’t you want to be manager?

pirate

Big Shot

1

🦜☠️ Account Executive

I don't like people and have 0 patience

GDO

Politicker

2

BDM

3 is my lucky number :D

CuriousFox

WR Officer

2

🦊

They always say things happen in 3s 🤷‍♀️

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Ha! True

Sunbunny31

Politicker

1

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

No joke, I had 11 managers in 11 years.

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

What?? 11? Does it make it hard to learn? Gosh it could be worse apparently

Coffeesforclosers

Notable Contributor

1

Director Sales and Market Development

All good sales people dont make good sales managers!

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Agreed!

lowhangersalesbanger

Executive

1

Director of Sales

You guys have managers?

pirate

Big Shot

0

🦜☠️ Account Executive

Hahaha you don't? How's it structured?

lowhangersalesbanger

Executive

0

Director of Sales

I'm jokeing. I always have managers I am usually just left alone by them.

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