Here is an article from Eye on Sales that addresses a common sales management topic – should you promote your top salesperson into the sales manager role?  I would argue that the conventional wisdom is to avoid making this mistake.

From the article:

Sales management mistake #1: Promoting top performers to sales managers

Top-performing salespeople are not necessarily top managers. Leaders often fail to evaluate their best sales professionals for their ability and aptitude to manage before placing them in a leadership position. It seems like an easy decision to promote the best, but in reality you might be taking one of your most potent weapons out of the game and placing them in a position that is not well-suited for them. As a result, the company as a whole loses – the individual is unhappy, the salespeople he’s managing are underperforming, and the company is missing out on potential sales.

Solution: There are many assessment tools that can accurately predict management aptitude – use them. I find it baffling when so many firms roll the dice on salespeople and sales managers when there are quantitative, validated, and reliable evaluations available that are accurate predictors of success. Don’t assume that because an individual is a top performer in sales that they’ll be able to manage sales people. It just doesn’t work like that.

I get the point…in fact I have written similarly myself.  Assessments are the key as they can provide you with an edge when it comes to interviewing candidates and determining their fit to the position’s requirements.  Not surprisingly, I strongly agree with the author on this topic.

I have a slightly different take on promoting top performing salespeople – they know how to “get ‘er done.”  I have seen many underperforming salespeople who seem to be in vapor lock.  They aren’t sure what to do either strategically or tactically.  Top selling salespeople have a tactical efficiency to them that can truly undergird an entire sales team.  They can teach the team how to get ‘er done.

In this light, strong salespeople can be a force multiplier for a sales team.  Granted, it doesn’t work in all situations, but I do think the conventional wisdom has shifted too far away from this approach.

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They hunt – plain and simple.  You could say it is in their blood.  This becomes an issue when you are attempting to hire a sales hunter as I have witnessed this past week.  One of our customers zeroed in on a particular candidate who is a strong hunter, but my customer took their time in pursuing him.  In that time, he uncovered another opportunity and received an offer.  That offer was later placed on hold so he returned to my customer for an interview.  They thought he would be a great fit, but the first company came back and made him another offer along with my customer.  He went with the other offer.

Confusing I know, but the point here is that hunters keep hunting even when they are securing a deal.  This behavior is their strength and their weakness.  They keep their nose to the ground and keep looking for the next opportunity.

Hunters are also difficult to manage in that they take a strong, but understanding manager to work with them.  Hunters can be driven, but they can also be demanding.  They can be empathetic, but they are often competitive.

Oh, and most importantly, they can make you a lot of money.

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Thanks to Sierra Miller for sharing some funny passive-aggressive office notes.  Check out the photos here.

It reminds me of a previous position I had in a technology company.  One of the IT guys kept having a similar problem – someone would peruse his lunch in the refrigerator and help themselves to some of the food.  The IT guy was a bit high-strung which probably made him a more appealing target for these hijinks.

Anyway, one day he does a page all over the entire building and goes off about someone eating his lunch.  This was a company with 175 employees – it wasn’t small.  He ranted to the entire company (and present visitors) about his lunch being taken again.

I believe he was summoned to the HR department’s area shortly thereafter.  He wasn’t fired, but was asked to refrain from any further “page all rants.”

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