BY Kathy Crosett
Do you need to hire a sales manager for the first time? Small business owners with one or two sales reps on their staff can often manage the challenges of bringing in new business and satisfying current customers. But when it’s time to grow the business, it’s critical to understand the difference between sales managers and sales representatives.
What is a sales representative? Role and responsibilities
A sales representative is a team member who sells products and services for a company. They may prospect for new customers. Or they may be responsible for leading prospects through the entire sales funnel. Keep in mind that a sales representative is sometimes called a sales executive.
What does a sales representative do?
To find new business, sales representatives may call or email prospects. As prospects enter the sales funnel, sales representatives meet with prospects online or in person. They must conduct discovery calls to learn about the prospect’s needs. And then they will prepare presentations. During these presentations, they will demonstrate how the product or service meets the prospect’s needs. Sales representatives may also propose a solution to the prospect and negotiate to close the deal. And they often touch base with existing customers to increase the chances of doing more business with them.
What is a sales manager? Role and responsibilities
Sales managers maintain responsibility for very different organizational functions than sales representatives. They must set sales goals for their department and then set individual targets for each rep. Sales managers must motivate their team members while also communicating progress to senior leadership in the organization.
Sales executive vs sales manager
There’s a difference between sales executive and sales manager. A sales executive is similar to a sales representative. Sales executives are part of the sales team and report to the sales manager.
What does a sales manager do?
SalesFuel CEO C. Lee Smith notes that “sales managers have one of the most challenging positions in any organization. They must balance the value of their time with the potential return on investment as they develop their reps.”
To help their reps achieve these goals, sales managers provide coaching and training. Part of their coaching may require them to visit client sites with their reps. They should also add programs to strengthen the sales team culture and use rewards to motivate their staff.
Sales managers must also recruit and train staff members. They must find sales reps who are a good fit with the position and the organization. One way to find the best candidate is to use a behavioral assessment like TeamTrait.
How to strengthen the sales culture
Company leaders can strengthen the sales culture by ensuring that sales managers possess the right skills. A sales manager usually has experience in all the tasks a sales representative is asked to do. They understand the thrill of landing a big account. And they should be able to empathize with their rep when a great prospect walks away from what looked like a certain deal.
In addition, sales managers must hire individuals who are capable of motivating team members, managing conflict and providing coaching.
Motivating Team Members
The best sales managers can motivate their teams to achieve established goals. They accomplish this task through communication and support. By understanding exactly what motivates each rep, they personalize coaching and offer rewards.
Managing Conflict
Some reps can focus on their job without worrying about what the person in the next office is doing. Other reps get sucked into the office drama. Or they’ll argue about who’s to blame for the failed effort to upsell a big account.
Managers don’t have the luxury of ignoring this type of conflict. In our most recent Voice of the Sales Rep survey, over 20% noted that the manager doesn’t hold everyone accountable and they avoid conflict. Clearly, sales managers have some work to do.
The best managers address conflict and nonperformance issues directly. To create a supportive environment, sales managers should meet with feuding team members. Encouraging them to talk through the conflict and accept accountability can develop a culture of professionalism and respect.
Coaching
Sales managers often have trouble determining what to coach their reps on. One way to understand a rep’s weaknesses and their motivations is to ask them to take a sales skills assessment. This test can be part of a full psychometric assessment done during the hiring process. Assessments can be given at any time with the goal of learning about a rep’s work styles, motivations, and superpowers.
Coaching a sales rep and helping to improve their selling strategies and tactics means the manager may have to change their mindset. Most sales managers earned their position after succeeding as a sales rep. Many of these formerly successful sales reps still thrive on adrenaline. They grow excited as a big deal is about to close.
In the manager role, they’ll rely on different skills. Specifically, they will encourage their reps to improve their decision-
Sales Manager vs Sales Representative: Key Differences at a Glance
| Sales Managers | Sales Representative |
| Establish team goals | Prospect for new accounts |
| Set individual rep targets | Conduct discovery on prospects |
| Motivate team members | Prepare and deliver presentations |
| Coach team members | Negotiate contract details |
| Recruit and hire new sales representatives | Close deals |
| Communicate with upper management | Request reviews/ |
| Develop training programs | Upsell existing customers |
| Monitor rep progress and performance | Maintain CRM data |
What is the New Role for Today's Sales Managers?
Steli Efti at blog
If you don’t feel equipped to carry out these aspects of the job, sign up for sales manager training. After that, you should be asking the question all great sales managers obsess about every day: “How can I help my team be the best they can be?”
Conclusion
The best organizations maintain clear distinction when it comes to sales rep vs sales manager. The reps maintain the primary relationships with prospects and clients. And the sales representative manager gives them the help they need to succeed.
Image by olia danilevich on Pexels
What is a sales manager?
A sales manager oversees the sales representatives in the sales department. sales goals for their department and then set individual targets for each rep. Sales managers must motivate their team members while also communicating progress to senior leadership in the organization.
What key skills does a sales manager need?
Successful sales managers must be able to motivate the sales team. They must be able to set goals, manage conflict and coach the reps who need help. Great sales managers have empathy for their rep’s situation, but they also offer coaching on how reps can improve.
What makes an effective sales manager?
The most effective sales managers are willing to work alongside their sales rep. But they do not claim responsibility for the rep’s hard work. Instead, they see where individual reps need help and offer coaching to help them improve their skills.
How do you become a sales manager from a sales rep role?
To transition from a sales representative to a sales manager, training is required. In addition, these individuals should take a psychometric assessment designed for sales, such as TeamTrait. The assessment results will help them understand which skills they need to focus on to become a great sales manager.
What are signs of a bad sales manager?
The signs of a bad sales manager include playing favorite among team members and not holding every rep accountable for their performance. Other signs of a bad sales manager include taking credit for the team’s work, taking too long to respond to a rep’s questions and not communicating clearly.
