Not because it didn’t matter, but because I simply started to lose count.

In these countless conversations with business leaders and sometimes CRO’s or VP’s, there was one pattern that always remained. 

Promoting their top performing sales rep into management was usually a failing point for the business. Not always was this the case, but to be honest, it logically makes total sense.

Now the question I hope you would ask initially is..

WHY couldn’t the top performer actually lead the rest of the team?

Now most companies do actually execute on this and in practice, it usually implodes. 

Closing a deal and building a team both require skills, but these skill sets do not work hand in hand.

The way I deconstruct this idea, is that your best rep is making fast reactionary moves that can change the scope of how an individual deal execution is administered. 

Managing however, requires a leader to think strategically and not make impulsive decisions with the ability to teach others how to replicate those patterns.

These skills rarely exist in the same person.

Now if you assume they do, I promise you will lose your best rep and in turn receive a mediocre manager who will begin to resent their job role. 

I want to share some practical questions that I think every leader should ask before promoting anyone at any capacity.

1. Does this person already help others without being asked?

If this person's feedback loop with current management or leadership is long or non-existent, I can promise you they are going to HATE leading. 

True leaders are usually going to be unconsciously or conscientiously acting on coaching others because they genuinely enjoy helping.

2. Can they explain why they are actually successful?

Though I hate to say it, some top reps don’t know why they continue to win.

Some think pure wit or charm is something that gets deals across the line, and if that can’t be broken down into an actual process quantifiably or not, they will not be able to manage let alone replicate. 

3. Do they actually want to lead and manage others or is this just a money/power play? 

Management is a completely different beast.

If someone is truly doing it for an accolade or rise in power (egotistic) or finances, they will burn out eventually and take the rest of the team down with them.

They bring the rest of the team down because it was never about leading and coaching others to their level, but about power and visibility. 

Now if you’ve already fallen victim to making this mistake you can go about it one of two ways. 

You can continue to invest in their leadership development by finding another team or person to help implement and develop a true leader. 

The ROI is undoubtedly a no brainer but only if you can honestly and truly answer YES to the last three questionsI left above. 

Now the second bit you can do is move them back to an individual contributor and hire someone with proven success in leadership and management.

YES, it will be difficult if you chose the ladder portion but it is certainly cheaper than rebuilding an entire team because of a root rot from within.

Now if you haven’t promoted anyone yet but are still thinking about it. 

Save yourself the hassle by building a temporary player/coach role where they keep a small book of business and still help manage 2-3 reps.

This will ultimately test whether they can do the job before you commit to any type of promotions.

I would also recommend investing in them more intentionally if they prove themselves. 

To sum this all up, we have to stop treating management like a promotion. 

Promotions can certainly be earned but skill sets are only learned through repetition. 

Your best rep might need to stay as a rep, and that’s not wrong. 

Identifying where their strengths are is the true test or a knowledgeable leader. 

Till next time,

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