Sales Training Dumpster Fire #3: Promotion Without Preparation

In this third installment of the “Sales Training Dumpster Fires” series, Kelly Riggs dives deep into one of the most persistent and problematic issues in sales management: promoting top salespeople to management roles without proper training or preparation. Kelly argues that many companies are making a critical mistake by assuming great salespeople will naturally make great managers. As he puts it, “You lose your best salesperson and, most of the time, you get a mediocre sales manager.”

Kelly explores the reasons behind this common misstep, from the lack of training to the drastic difference between the skillsets needed for sales success and leadership success. He emphasizes the need for proper assessment and development before promoting salespeople into leadership roles. “To be a great salesperson is completely different than being a great sales leader,” Kelly explains, urging companies to change their approach and invest in leadership training. Tune in for actionable strategies to avoid this dumpster fire and build strong, effective sales leaders.

Key Topics: 

• The common mistake of promoting top salespeople to management without training

• The significant differences between the skillsets of a great salesperson versus a great sales manager

• The detrimental impact of promoting the wrong person, including losing top salespeople and creating ineffective managers

• Why many top salespeople struggle to transition into leadership roles (e.g., lack of patience, coaching skills, and time investment)

• The importance of assessing leadership capabilities before making promotions

• How companies often fail to provide proper leadership training and development

• Effective coaching and team development as critical responsibilities of a sales manager

• The necessity of setting clear expectations and offering leadership training in advance

• The importance of sales managers developing a team culture of excellence and accountability

• Strategies for identifying and hiring talent, with a focus on training managers to effectively recruit and develop their teams

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Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business consultant for executives and companies throughout the United States and Canada. He has written two books: 1-on-1 Management: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don’t and Quit Whining and Start SELLING! A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales. 

Get more Kelly: www.BizLockerRoom.com. 

Widely recognized as a powerful speaker and performance coach in the areas of sales, management leadership, and strategic planning, Kelly is a former sales executive, a two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year, a business owner, and a member of the Forbes’ Coaches Council since 2019. 

Music and Editing by Pod About It Productions @dougbranson