Thanks for the Promotion…Now What?
Once the excitement wears off, there’s a good chance that your new manager is nervous and even a little scared about their ability to succeed.
Here are 10 things running through their head that they’re afraid to tell you (from the point of view of a typical newly-promoted Inside Sales Manager):
- It’s impossibly hard to be the boss of my old team. Who do I go to lunch with?
- Half the skills that made me an awesome rep (competitive? High maintenance?) make me a pretty awful manager
- Um, how DO you run a pipeline meeting?
- I’m not actually sure how to coach, so I just take over the call or give my team scripts of how I did it
- Truth is, I’m actually hanging on to a few accounts (cuz if you’ll let me, I’ll try to keep doing my old job)
- If it doesn’t work out, you’re down a manager AND a top performer (because I’m not going back on the phones – humiliating!)
- If an unengaged rep can ruin 200 customer relationships, I can ultimately ruin over 2000!
- What AM I supposed to cover in a 1:1??
- When I run out of candidates that look just like me, I’m not sure how to hire.
- I don’t know how to explain how I did it. It’s an ART not a science! How do I teach that?
I’m sure I missed a few. What was running through your head once you got settled into your first Inside Sales Management position?
Folks, training your managers is critical. Jump out to our YouTube page to learn more about what training to provide, why train managers first, and the online job training we recommend when face-to-face training isn’t feasible. You can also follow Factor 8 here on LinkedIn or at Factor8.com
Lauren Bailey (LB) is the President of Factor 8, and has been recognized by the AA-ISP as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Leaders in Inside Sales” for 4 years running. You can connect with LB on LinkedIn, Twitter (@Factor8Sales), or the newly launched website – www.Factor8.com.