(By Rick Fink) There is no denying that experience can be a great teacher. But all too often we promote our best “experienced” salespeople to sales managers with no management training or safety net. It’s a disservice to the newly appointed manager, their staff, and the company.
Having a successful track record in sales enables the newly appointed manager to capture the respect and credibility necessary to lead, and that’s a good thing. But the skill sets she/he acquired as a salesperson do not necessarily equip them to be a great manager.
I’ve witnessed the heart-breaking experience of seeing dedicated passionate sales leaders crash and burn in management roles. Not because they didn’t have the work ethic, desire, intelligence, or integrity to succeed, but simply because they were given the title, an office, and told, “Good luck!”
It can also be intimidating for a new manager saddled with a truckload of new tasks to ask for coaching or training for fear they might appear weak or incompetent in their new role.
I do admire the intent of companies that prefer to promote from within. If you do promote from within and want to see your candidate succeed, consider doing two things:
- Hire a management coach to confidentially mentor their growth
- Invest in management training to ensure their continued success
To not do so is unfair to your new manager, their staff, your customers, and your company.
Rick Fink from ENS Media can be reached at 605-310-2062 or at [email protected]. Read Rick’s Radio Ink archives here.
