Stepping up from sales manager to sales director

Turn Yourself Into a Star Sales Leader

It is often said that a great sales manager not always turns into a great  sales director. Apart from the business technicalities, the soft skills that fuel a star sales leader are not the same needed for a sales director to outperform.

In this HBR article, Scott Edinger shows some evidences and identifies the most common mistakes made by previous star sales leaders:

• Only attend select calls where your (new) position increases value to customer;
• Act in a supporting role, the star of the company is your salesman;
• Limit your (direct) involvement, other opportunities might need your guidance;
• Don’t be the closer, that’s the role of your salespeople (Always Be Closing does not apply to you anymore!)
• Always Be Prepared, that should be your motto now. Careful planning will improve your positioning on the eyes of the customer and your salesman.