What Makes a Great Sales Manager? by Tom Monson
Over the years, I’ve worked with and watched a lot of sales managers. Some were excellent. Most were average at best.
So what separates the great ones from the rest?
I believe it comes down to one fundamental difference: Great sales managers see their job as serving their people, not the other way around.
They understand that their success depends on the success of their team. They operate with what I call an “Inverse Pyramid” — instead of sitting on top telling people what to do, they put themselves at the bottom, supporting and lifting their salespeople up.
What Makes a Great Sales Manager? Let me show you what I mean.
I once watched a sales manager take over a strong, productive team. Instead of building on what was already working, she immediately started criticizing the reps. She told one experienced salesperson that he was “boring” the customers he was talking to — right in the middle of a presentation. That comment killed the momentum and destroyed the rep’s confidence.
She wasn’t developing people. She was managing them. And the difference was costly.
A Better Way
Compare that to a completely different experience I had when I took over sales for a medical company with three locations.
Instead of trying to manage from above, I invested heavily in the people on my team. Every week I sent them training videos. Every month I worked closely with them. I didn’t treat them like employees — I treated them like professionals who deserved to grow. I focused on bringing out the best in each individual because I understood that every salesperson is different.
Over the next four years, we grew from three locations to six and increased sales from roughly four million to sixteen million dollars.
The difference wasn’t better products or better leads. The difference was how we developed our people.
That’s why I created the nine modules that eventually became the Sales Performance Index.
Because I learned that if you truly want to help salespeople improve, you can’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. You have to know exactly where each person is strong and where they need help. The nine areas in the Index — Mindset, Discipline, Resilience, Buyer Motivation, Closing Skills, and the rest — give you that clarity.
So here’s my question:
Are you developing your people, or are you just managing them?
If you’re a sales manager, sales leader, or business owner who wants to truly bring out the best in your team, I’ve made the Sales Performance Index available for free.
If you’re a sales manager, sales leader, or business owner who wants to truly bring out the best in your team, the Sales Performance Index is available for free with no obligation. This quick 10-minute diagnostic shows both you and your team members exactly where they’re strong and where they have room to grow. No guesswork. Just clear answers. (It’s my way of introducing you to the World-Class Sales Masterclass.)
You can take it for yourself or have your entire team take it.
👉 Take the Free Sales Performance Index Here: https://worldclasssalesmasterclass.com/improve-your-sales-performance/
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What do you believe makes a truly great sales manager?