JYouve just been knighted Sales Manager by your boss. You probably did a great job as a sales rep and because of that, (or because of your persistent begging), you were handed business cards with Sales Manager printed on them and some sage advice like, Go forth and prosper. or Were counting on you to turn this around. or Just dont screw anything up. Then, with cards in hand, you walked out into the brave new world of Sales Management.

Sadly this is how most new sales managers get their start and the extent of their training. Its also why so many of them fail. Companies assume, just because you can sell, that somehow you are magically endowed with the skills and tool kit you need to actually lead salespeople.

More often than not though new sales managers fail because they dont understand that their ultimate success is a direct reflection of the performance of their people. Instead of becoming coaches and mentors to their sales team, they become tormentors.