Do Great Salespeople Make Great Managers?

That is an age-old question, isn’t it?  You can insert your favorite sports example here which typically involves a superstar/Hall of Fame-caliber athlete who fails as a coach because the game came too easy to him.  But does this analogy work in the sales arena also? This Sales & Marketing Management article approaches the topic with aplomb. The pull quote (emphasis mine): Sometimes great salespeople aren’t as good at coaching and managing other people – they’re excellent at being individual contributors, they’re great at building relationships with customers and working deals from start to finish, but they lack the patience or coaching ability or intangible interpersonal savvy to be responsible… Read More

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The Slow Fade Of Strong Salespeople

It has been a hectic week of crashed computers, new blogs set up, new video integrations, business deals, etc.  Suffice to say, I have been worn out by the myriad of tasks. In the middle of this busy week, I talked to a strong salesperson I know who has been quite successful in an industry that normally would suffer during this economy.  Unfortunately, he is starting to fade in his current position.  What I mean is that the company is grinding him down to where he is looking for another opportunity. The main reason is disgustingly simple – he can successfully close deals in this economy, but his company struggles… Read More

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