\u201cJust put me in coach, I\u2019ll create miracles.\u201d That enthusiasm is great and can indeed have a strong impact on a sales team, but there are some common mistakes the new sales manager make:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI need you to like\/accept me.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Particularly if the new manager was promoted within, but even from the outside, there is typically too much effort to get approved by top sales people. This need for approval leads to a very slippery slope of being overly empathetic. Soon, WE<\/em> are the problem, not YOU<\/em> the sales person is the problem. Being friendly and sharing some team bonding is great, but keeping a distance to make tough decisions and mandate accountability is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I had to do tracking, I hated it, so I\u2019m going to relieve you of that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is salespeople start \u201cwinging it\u201d again. Everyone loves the relief, but a team that\u2019s not systematically tracking, pre-call planning, and debriefing will eventually get sloppy and inefficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can make anyone good.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The enthusiasm of the new manager blurs the reality of someone\u2019s ability and ironically makes the future grim for both sides, the manager and the salesperson. Loss of objectivity about skills, talent, desire, capability, and job-fit can cause serious problems. Taking corrective actions toward those that can\u2019t or don\u2019t sell is critical to team success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n