Spark Advisors Leadership & Management

Tell us about your journey into sales management. What specific roles, networking opportunities and/or projects helped you get to where you are in your career today?

I started out as an entry-level account executive with a healthy mix of ambition and fear of failing. As I developed into a more established seller, I realized I was spending a good amount of my time coaching my fellow AEs and business development representatives, due largely in part to a revolving door of sales managers; I had seven managers over the span of three years. During a skip level with our vice president of sales, I shared that I was interested in exploring a career in management. He told me bluntly that I wasn’t ready. Frankly, it was great advice. 

Being a top seller doesn’t make you a manager. So I got to work – I used my company’s continuing education policy to take courses on effective discovery, I immersed myself in books like Never Split the Difference and The Challenger Sale, and I volunteered to lead training sessions for my team. Sellers often think they have an advantage by being an internal hire, which can be true, but they underestimate the talent pool. I made sure that when a manager role opened up I wouldn’t just be the best candidate internally but the best candidate overall.

What is your top advice for sales professionals interested in breaking into sales management?

I like to say I’m a retired seller who now manages salespeople. When I sold, I loved it. I loved the dopamine hit of closing a deal, the never-ending puzzle that is uncovering what motivates people, the challenge of getting a close-minded prospect to open up to the possibilities my company provided — truly all of it. At some point though, I realized that while selling brings me so much joy, I got even more joy out of helping my coworkers close their own deals. I realized sales management might be the path for me. 

My advice to folks who want to get into sales management is to do a “joy audit.” Spend a week tracking all your activities and sort them into those that filled your cup and those that drained your cup. What activities did you look forward to doing, and what activities did you dread? To be a sales leader, you have to be selfless, comfortable with conflict and a fierce advocate for your team. If you find yourself being frustrated with “bureaucracy” or you roll your eyes when you need to explain something to another person, sales management isn’t for you.