CadenceCombat

Account Executive

Sales Leadership Confessional

First time sales managers are the worst. That’s just a fact.

And maybe you’re saying “But, Cadence, I’m a first time sales manager and I’m awesome so I must be the exception to the rule.”

Nope. Even worse. You’re terrible but just don’t see it yet.

But don’t worry. Being a terrible first time sales manager is a normal part of the process of becoming a great sales leader.

So, for those who have got all the mistakes out of their system as a rookie sales manager and now see the light, help enlighten the leadership newbies…

What mistakes did you make as a first time sales leader / manager?

🧢 Sales Management

🧠 Advice

🏋️‍♀️ Leadership

25 comments

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oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Great post. I’ll confess. I had 12 people each read a page from Green Eggs and Ham in my first solo sales meeting because it was about persistence. I also believed in the non producers. Worse yet, I confided in them, drank with them. I trusted everyone. I let people off the hook with all kinds of mandatory shit just to be cool.

I had no idea that respect had to be earned. That it didn’t come with the title. Had the industry not been a cakewalk, I would have failed miserably. No way I would have survived in today’s world.

I have made every shitty decision once. Selling and managing are only loosely related.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Making your employees read Green Eggs and Ham is pretty funny though lol

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

Seemed like a fine idea at the time 🤷🏻‍♂️

CadenceCombat

Tycoon

Account Executive

Love the transparency. Great answer.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

You can’t be friends with those you manage. Not real friends at least. Too many issues involved. So just don’t try.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Ignorant Incompetence.

I remember when my CEO explained it to me at our weekly 1:1 lunch. It stung like hell in the moment but shit was he right.

I believed in my underperforming reps. I let them hang around way too long instead of doing us both a favor and cutting them loose. I also was far too protective of the work I had on my plate and didn’t want to delegate—I somehow thought tactical work was seen as a badge of honor…now I let minions and other teams take on whatever they want.

CadenceCombat

Tycoon

Account Executive

Quality answer 👌

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

You don’t know what you don’t know

RandyLahey

Politicker

Account Executive

I was just burned by this exact type of scenario. Way to be PBC...

ZVRK

Politicker

Enterprise Account Executive

My biggest mistake was accepting a sales manager role in the first place (managing 7 reps) while having to chase my full quota too. I enjoyed helping out my team close more, motivating them, and resolving issues but eventually, this affected my own performance, and after 3 yrs I took back an IC role again and made more bank than ever before.

I`m an IC at the moment and would love to go move up to a sales manager, but ONLY if it makes sense financially.

HVACexpert

Politicker

sales engineer

Doing one job is hard, don’t do yours and someone else’s

detectivegibbles

Politicker

Sales Director

Not understanding everyone's role.

Active listening to what were problems versus what were inconveniences.

TennisandSales

Politicker

Head Of Sales

i did not know how to keep it "fair not equal" for each rep.

I thought what ever i did for one person I needed to do for another person.

ChumpChange

Politicker

Channel Manager

Sometimes doing something with 40% of it worked out on paper gives you way more information than having 80% on paper and deliberating on the remaining 20% should be. Long story short... you get better information quicker by just throwing yourself into something... especially if it's untested.

UncleHoho

Good Citizen

Account Executive

I wanted to be relaxed and give people freedom/loose reigns. Learned the lesson the hard way that not everyone can work that way or should. Some people want some oversight and pushing. Others can rock on their own and stay motivated.

Maximas

Tycoon

Senior Sales Executive

I believe everything comes by Learning and what helps the most in getting you a good sales leader faster is always to ask for a feedback from your team via frequent gatherings either business wise at the work place or even non business wise like when you go outing with em!

CadenceCombat

Tycoon

Account Executive

Not at all relevant to my post but sure.

RandyLahey

Politicker

Account Executive

LOL

Justatitle

Big Shot

Account Executive

Haven't been a manager but at a former company my first time manager was the absolute worst and I burned that bridge with kerosene

SonnyVaccaro

Good Citizen

Growth Lead

I copied the jerk managers I had before because I so worried about numbers and not the team. Then, the second time, I focused on the team and decided to do exactly the opposite of the bad habits I had seen other managers do - the team crushed and I was on auto-pilot after 3 years because they all had ownership of their territories and responsibilities. Moral of the story - trust your gut, manage how you would want to manage and ENABLE your team.

ventox35

Politicker

Sales Leader

Communication. Both up and down. And accountability to metrics.

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CadenceCombat

Tycoon

Account Executive

@Gasty

Gasty

Notable Contributor

War Room Community Manager

thanks CC

CuriousFox

WR Officer

-2

🦊

Fuck your mother

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CadenceCombat

Sales Leadership Confessional

25 comments

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