Technical people who move into sales management usually got there by being good at selling something complex. The trap is to keep doing it: jumping into every important call, rescuing every stuck deal. The team stays dependent, you burn out, and the numbers only grow as fast as you can work. Your new job is to make other people better at selling.
01From closer to coach
Management is a different job, not a bigger version of the old one. Gallup’s research suggests the manager accounts for a large share of the difference in how engaged a team is. In sales, that shows up in who stays, and how well they sell.
You will still join some calls. The question to ask yourself each time: will this help the rep sell the next deal without me?
02Your first 30 days: listen before you change
- One-to-one with each person in the first week: what works, what’s hard, what they need from you.
- Listen to calls, at least two per person, without taking over.
- Read the pipeline deal by deal, and note where the data is missing.
- Talk to five customers, including one you lost.
- Agree the team’s targets and how they’re measured with your own manager.
Then choose one or two changes, not ten. A new manager who changes everything in the first month usually loses the team’s trust.
03Make the pipeline something everyone can read
Engineers know the value of clear definitions. Apply that to the pipeline: each stage should end with something the buyer did, not something the seller feels.
| Stage | Exit criterion (what the buyer did) |
|---|---|
| Discovery done | The buyer confirmed the problem, what it costs them and who decides. |
| Solution agreed | The buyer agreed the approach and the people who decide have seen it. |
| Proposal sent | A meeting is booked to go through the proposal. |
| Negotiation | The buyer has said which option they want; terms are being agreed. |
| Closed | A signed contract or a clear no, with the reason recorded. |
In weekly pipeline reviews, talk about next steps, not totals:
04Coach one behaviour at a time
After a call, people can only work on one change at a time. Use the same short structure every time:
Ask
“How do you think it went?” Let them assess themselves first.
Keep
One specific thing they did well, and why it mattered.
Change
One specific thing to do differently next time.
Practise
Rehearse it right away, with you as the customer.
Specific feedback works; general praise doesn’t teach anything. “Your summary made them agree the next meeting” is something they can repeat.
05One-to-ones that help
A one-to-one is the rep’s meeting, not a status report. Keep it weekly, and let them bring the agenda:
- Start with them: what’s on their mind, what’s blocking them.
- Look at two or three deals, not the whole list.
- Agree one action each, and check it next week.
- Once a month, talk about growth: skills, goals, the next role.
06Difficult conversations
Missed targets and performance problems need direct, early, kind conversations. In English, a simple structure keeps you calm:
Facts
What happened, with numbers, without judgment.
Impact
Why it matters for the team or the customers.
Expectation
What needs to change, and by when.
Support
What you will do to help.
Write down what you agreed and send it the same day. If it becomes a formal performance issue, involve HR early and follow your company’s process.
07Phrases for managing a sales team
| Situation | Phrases |
|---|---|
| First one-to-ones | “What’s working well for you at the moment?” · “Where do you get stuck?” · “What would help you most from me?” |
| Pipeline review | “Walk me through this deal. What’s the next step, and when?” · “Who have we not spoken to yet?” · “What would make this slip?” |
| After a call | “What do you think went well on that call?” · “If you could do one part again, which would it be?” |
| Giving feedback | “One thing to keep: your summary at the end was excellent.” · “One thing to try next time: ask about the budget before the demo.” |
| Missed targets | “The target this quarter was 120,000; we’re at 80,000. I want to understand what happened, and agree a plan together.” |
| Agreeing a plan | “I’d like us to agree three things you’ll do differently this month, and we’ll review them every Friday.” · “What support do you need from me?” |
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| “Why didn’t you close it?” | “What do you think stopped the deal from moving?” |
| “You need to sell more.” | “Let’s look at which stage most of your deals get stuck in.” |
| “Just do what I do.” | “Here’s what worked for me. What would work for you?” |
| “Good job.” | “Good job on the summary at the end. That’s why they agreed the next meeting.” |
| “I’ll take this one.” | “Let’s prepare this one together.” |
08Example: coaching after a sales call
An invented example. The manager asks first, gives one thing to keep and one to change, then practises it straight away.
Five minutes after the call
Manager: Thanks for letting me listen in. How do you think it went?
Rep: Okay, I think. They liked the demo, but they didn’t commit to anything.
Manager: What do you think was missing?
Rep: Maybe the next step? I said I’d send the proposal.
Manager: Exactly. One thing to keep: your questions at the start were great. You found out about the refunds, which is the real pain. One thing to change: before the end of the call, book the next meeting while they’re still there.
Rep: How would I say that without sounding pushy?
Manager: Try: “Can we put 30 minutes in the calendar on Friday to go through the proposal with your CTO?” Let’s practise it now. I’ll be the customer.
09Your weekly management checklist
- I had a one-to-one with every person.
- I listened to at least one call per person.
- Every important deal has a dated next step.
- Each person is working on one specific behaviour.
- I prepared deals with the team instead of taking them over.
- Anything difficult was discussed early and written down.