Becoming an Inside Sales Manager

Last month I completed my second year as an Inside sales manager for the Colorado Rapids. As I continue to read great articles about entry level sales representatives getting ready to embark on their new journey into the industry, I found an extreme lack of similar articles are available for senior sales members in our industry looking to transition into management roles for their team.

Below are a few thoughts I have learned along the way and hopefully words of wisdom if you are considering taking the next step into a management role.

1.      Getting to know your team on a personal level isn’t important. It’s everything.

It sounds simple, but it holds so much truth. Entry level reps don’t want to be looked at as a number with a dollar sign over their heads. Get to know them on a personal level and helping them become the best version of themselves is your role. If you are recruiting new members to your team, these folks could be leaving their hometowns, taking their first sales job, new to the area and hopefully accepting your offer to learn from you! They reflect you as a manager! The best managers are the ones that are truly invested in their team.

2.      Focus on your team buying into your philosophies and culture before teaching sales techniques

Before our reps at the Colorado Rapids Sales Academy (CRSA) get on the phone, we have our team concentrate on understanding the goals, objectives and expectations of our entire organization, sales department and specifically our Academy. Young professionals need to have the “Why” behind what they are doing and how we are going to accomplish those goals. When you have complete “buy-in” from the team, you limit your time attending to hustle metrics, effort and the discipline it takes to be successful in this industry as it is already engrained in them prior to hitting the phones.

There will be moments that you have to have difficult conversations with your team members and I can’t stress how easier those conversations are when both parties have had a clear understanding of what is expected of them and you. Don’t leave anything undone to what is expected.

3.      Train your team on sales 101. Don’t train them on how you sold.

This was probably the most difficult part of transitioning into management. Your initial thoughts are to immediately train the way that made you successful. These are the results we are looking for however you lose out on building the foundation that made you successful when you first started on the phones. 

Keep it as simple as you can when working with your team and continue to add pieces to the overall puzzle week by week. Throwing too much is going to send them into information overload. Simplify everything you teach! 

4.      Management isn’t for everyone (written by Elliott Crichfield – Manager of Inside Sales for Denver Nuggets)

“Leadership isn’t for everyone, and you have to be passionate about being in the business of people. A Manager of Inside Sales is the most important leadership position within any organization, as you are growing the future of your sales force. It’s the most challenging and rewarding role you can ever have – and if you aren’t doing for the right reasons you will be doing a huge disservice to the individuals under your leadership”

Final Note:

I’m aware that these are topics that can be discussed in a lot more detail and excited to share what we do at the Colorado Rapids Sales Academy. Please feel free to reach out at [email protected] if you would love to connect and discuss further.

#BringTheJuice