So you’ve proven that you’re star on your team and snagged that coveted sales management position. You post the good news on Facebook, and get kudos from everyone you know. Your mom is particularly impressed. You’re riding high on a major career milestone when suddenly it hits you — you’re going to be responsible for an entire team of salespeople. What will you have to do? How can you help your team do their best? Do you have what it takes to be a leader? Can you keep the higher ups happy? Big promotions are always stressful. To help you plunge headfirst into your new role, we’ve asked some of the biggest sales training experts and consultants in the country for advice. They have all made the transition from salesperson to sales manager and thrived. And they all have insightful tips for anyone who wants to know what to do after the promotion. Here’s the question we posed “What’s the most important thing for brand new sales managers to know?” Here are their answers.

1. @nextgenleads
7 Experts Reveal
How To Manage A Sales Team
For The Very First Time

2. @nextgenleads
We Asked Seven Experts…

3. @nextgenleads
“What’s the most
important thing for
brand new sales
managers to know?”

4. “The first thing to realize is that it is no longer about you. It is about the team.”
-Barbara Giamanco
CEO, Social Centered Selling
@barbaragiamanco
@nextgenleads

5. A Great Sales Manager
Hires and develops great salespeople
Removes organizational stumbling blocks
Champions team member successes
Your team’s success is your success.
@nextgenleads

6. About
Barbara Giamanco
Barbara Giamanco is a globally recognized
thought leader in Social Selling. She’s the co-
author of The New Handshake: Sales Meets Social
Media and CEO of Social Centered Selling. Barb is
consistently a Top 25 Influential Leader in Sales, a
Top 25 Sales Influencer on Twitter and one of Top
Sales World’s Top 50 Sales and Marketing
Influencers. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Social
Centered Selling offers Social Media and Social
Selling Consulting, Advisory and Programs to
sales and marketing teams interested in driving
sales results. Visit www.scs-connect.com and
follow Barbara on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

7. “It is the salesperson’s job to achieve quota; it is the sales manager’s job to put them in place to win
with training, marketing, and making sure they know the formula for success.”
-Ken Thoreson
President, Acumen Management Group LTD
@kenthoreson
@nextgenleads

8. @nextgenleads
A NEW SALES MANAGER MUST:
Meet weekly with their
management to ensure
priorities are in
alignment.
Build trust with their
peer management team,
ask for help, and share
ideas.
Learn to delegate.
Study leadership vs.
management.
Build a formula. What
sales activities does it
take to succeed, build a
dashboard, and
reinforce sales process?
Evaluate each person on
their team and begin to
recruit for new talent.

9. About Ken Thoreson
Ken Thoreson is managing director of the Acumen
Management Group Ltd., a North American consulting
organization focused on improving sales management
functions within growing and transitional organizations.
During the past 13 years, the consulting, advisory, and
platform services have illuminated, motivated, and
rejuvenated the sales efforts for partners throughout
North America. Ken is also the author of SLAMMED!!:
For The First Time Sales Manager. Follow Ken on
Twitter.
@nextgenleads

10. “The first rule of thumb in any new management position is to learn first and act later with good
information. Trust is critical to a positive working relationship and it is earned, not imposed.”
-Kelly Riggs
President & Chief Sales Officer, Business LockerRoom
@kellyriggs
@nextgenleads

11. The Challenge:
New sales managers
are typically promoted
because they get things
done.
@nextgenleads

12. The Objective:
Coach, train, and
manage the
performance of other
salespeople.
@nextgenleads

13. About Kelly Riggs
A highly acclaimed platform speaker, Kelly Riggs
is recognized as a dynamic thought leader in the
fields of leadership, sales development, and
strategic planning. He is a business performance
coach for executives and companies throughout
the United States, working with organizations that
range in size from $3 million to over $5 billion in
annual sales revenue. Follow Kelly on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

14. “The new sales manager should proceed as if he/she is making a sale to the sales staff.”
-Elinor Stutz
CEO, Smooth Sale
@smoothsale
@nextgenleads

15. 2 Steps To #SalesManagement Success
Find out from the sales staff what worked well and what
needs to be improved
Ask questions to encourage staff participation
“Sales require 3-5 buy-ins or mini-agreements. By doing the
same with sales personnel, the new manager will get each to
come around to contributing as a team.”
@nextgenleads

16. About Elinor Stutz
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, delivers inspirational
keynotes at conferences and authored two books: the
international best-selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the
Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results,” and
community service led to the writing of her second best-
selling book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to
Sell Yourself On Interviews.” Stutz consults and speaks
worldwide. You can follow her on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

17. “See yourself as a sales leader, not a salesperson.”
-Mark Hunter
The Sales Hunter
@thesaleshunter
@nextgenleads

18. “Your job now is not to close the sales but to help your
people close the sales.”
“You will accomplish your goals when your people
accomplish theirs.”
“Lead your people and let your people lead their
customers.”
@nextgenleads

19. About Mark Hunter
Mark Hunter is “The Sales Hunter.” He helps
companies and salespeople find and retain better
customers. He is also a senior partner in MCA
Sales Leadership which provides sales strategy
programs for Fortune 500 companies.
He is recognized as one of the “Top 50 Most
Influential Sales and Marketing Leaders.” All of this
has him traveling globally nearly 200 days per
year, working with companies to help them grow
their top-line sales and bottom-line profits. Follow
Mark on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

20. “The key to success is developing sales people who are strong self managers!”
-Steven Rosen
Executive Sales Coach, STAR Results
@stevenarosen
@nextgenleads

21. “It is not your role to close every deal and put out every
fire for your salespeople.”
“Sales managers who become ‘super reps’ will never be a
‘super manager.’”
@nextgenleads

22. About Steven Rosen
Steven Rosen, MBA, is the founder of STAR
Results.
STAR Results is a sales leadership coaching,
training and consulting organization dedicated to
leadership development.
Follow Steven on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

23. “Instead of being special, make others special.”
-Tim Ohai
President, Growth & Associates
@timohai
@nextgenleads

24. Engaging Your Team
“Commitment is all about people believing that whatever
you are asking your team to do is the right thing to do—for
the company AND themselves.”
“Empowerment is all about equipping people with the
time, money, and other resources needed to be
successful.”
@nextgenleads

25. About Tim Ohai
Tim Ohai is the founder and president of Growth &
Associates, a community of experts that
specializes in sales enablement and sales
transformation solutions, with an emphasis on
maximizing the most critical of resources: people.
With well over a decade’s worth of experience in
developing sales team performance, he
consistently helps Fortune 500 companies design
and implement selling solutions internationally,
build sales systems that increase revenue and
customer loyalty, and create genuine coaching
cultures. He is often asked to consult larger, more
complex issues, especially around the topics of
redesigning sales organizations and leading
organizational change. Follow Tim on Twitter.
@nextgenleads

26. Now Go And Lead!
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