How to Inoculate Yourself Against the Dreaded “Super Worker” Promoted to Sales Manager Syndrome - by Leanne Hoagland-Smith

In a culture of high performance, top sales people are always looking to get ahead beyond receiving those monthly commission checks.  One way is to showcase you are the sales “super worker” so that the next time a sales management position opens up you are considered.

The problem with this approach is that what you or your top sales performers were promoted for, super sales skills and abilities, is not what will be needed in the sales management position.

Sales management requires different skills sets and most of them are centered around people or soft skills (think leadership). When comparing the role categories for those in management and those in sales, there is one noticeable difference.

Sales managers must have strong people development skills while sales people must have strong sales skills. Regardless of role, production management and time management skills are also needed.

The key difference to a successful transition to sales management is how well do you develop people? If you do not have that specific talent of developing people along with several other talents including Attitude toward Others and Leading Others then you may be dead in the water when it comes to leading the sales team.

Included within this genre of people development is emotional intelligence. This capacity is not only a proven leadership skill, but it too can be measured. Top sales performers have emotional intelligence.  Being in sales management that intelligence requires further development and strengthening.

With estimates of anywhere from 40 to 50% of front-line sales people missing their quotas in 2012, this is far more an executive and sales management problem than having underperforming salespeople. Now is the time to make sure those in sales management are truly effective managers who lead through coaching and mentoring.

By not reversing the super worker to supervisor syndrome will only ensure that in 2014, your sales team will continue to fall short of their sales quotas.

She can be reached at 219.759.5601 CST or atwww.increase-sales-coach.com

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