Sales management can be challenging for even the most seasoned veterans. And when you’re new to the gig? The role can feel overwhelming. But new sales managers have a major opportunity to ease into their new roles successfully as long as they take a smart approach.
What challenges are new sales managers facing? Younger generations are now entering into sales management positions for the first time. They are coming face-to-face with common challenges that sales leadership typically encounters.
But SalesFuel’s Voice of the Sales Manager study revealed that among these younger managers, particularly millennials and Gen Zers, those challenges are especially impactful. Compared to all managers, these sales managers are significantly more likely to struggle with core leadership demands.
They say their biggest troubles include motivating sales staff, making them 33% more likely than all managers to say this. Younger new managers also report struggling with getting teams to be proactive (21% more likely).
These findings suggest that while newer managers can bring fresh perspectives and energy, they often face steeper challenges when it comes to influencing behavior and driving consistent performance among their teams.
What impact do these challenges have on success?
Sales managers are intrinsically linked to the success of their organizations; when they struggle, those challenges can impact the entire business.
Employee turnover is one consequence of ineffective management. As C. Lee Smith, SalesFuel CEO and founder, notes, “Managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement.”
“That’s a staggering number when you realize just how much influence one person can have over a team’s success,” he adds.
Losing talent hits companies where it hurts most: the bottom line and team morale. Replacing an employee isn’t cheap and it can take time. The loss also causes disruption to workflow, as well as impacting overall team morale.
Smith also points out that a sales team’s productivity and motivation can falter when the manager doesn’t click with every member.
“Teams stuck under ineffective leadership often struggle to meet deadlines, miss growth opportunities and face higher rates of burnout,” he says.
Ineffective leaders don’t understand what motivates team members nor do they understand their needs when it comes to things like communication and work assignments.
How can new sales managers move beyond challenges?
One of the most impactful approaches that new sales managers can take is harnessing the power of assessments. These tools, like SalesFuel’s TeamTrait™, offer managers valuable, custom insights about each team member. These in turn can guide their management efforts to personalize coaching, align strengths with workload and optimize communication efforts.
And for new sales managers, this guidance can be a gamechanger, helping them adjust to leadership in a way that is customized to their unique role, team and company. For example, TeamTrait specifically analyzes behavioral traits and sales acumen across multiple dimensions, from work habits and motivation to leadership potential and selling strengths. It also sheds light on team interactions, including empathy, critical thinking and potential friction points.
With this insight, managers can identify where communication or development may be improved, support individual growth, and create an environment where talented employees are more likely to stay.
What can new managers expect using sales assessments?
Adopting a tool like TeamTrait can lead to measurable results across the board, including a motivated, high-performing sales team. By providing managers with personalized insights into individual strengths and work styles, assessments help them tailor a management approach that drives engagement and performance.
According to a special report from SalesFuel, “The Best Sales Manager I’ve Ever Had,” salespeople openly share that effective managers do empower them to perform better. Eighty-five percent of salespeople who rated their manager five stars say they are motivated to give their best effort every day.
And SalesFuel’s Voice of the Sales Rep study revealed that top performers (those hitting quota 90% of the time) are more likely to say their managers care about them and that they are motivated daily compared all sales reps.
Those top performers are also more likely to say they are not looking for a sales job outside of their current company. Clearly, thoughtful, effective management motivates sales teams and inspires loyalty. New sales managers often find leadership challenging.
By relying on insight-based guidance from sales assessment platforms, these managers can uncover what truly resonates with team members. And by adapting their own management approach, they can connect, motivate and retain employees, driving both individual and team performance more effectively.
“Improve the performance of a sales rep, you’ve improved one person,” Smith notes. “Improve the performance of a sales manager, you’ve improved their entire team.”
