Jim, the company’s newly promoted sales manager, had told everyone who would listen that he was laser-focused on doing his new job at the level of excellence. Today, he was explaining the format of a crucial weekly activity report to Ellen, the first new salesperson he’d hired. This was only Ellen’s fifth day on the job.
“This report,” he told Ellen, “is here to help you identify what’s working and what isn’t so you can adjust easily and ensure your daily behaviors support your income target. It’s not any kind of punishment. You must fill this out every week so I can fulfill my commitment to you. Ellen, I’m here for one reason and one reason only: to help you and the rest of this team succeed. I want you to know: I’ve got your back.”
“That’s great,” Ellen said, smiling. “It’s great to hear that.”
Just then, as Ellen sat across from him in his office, Jim got an email from Roderigo. He wanted to know if he could get a few minutes of Jim’s time on a Zoom call immediately.
Roderigo had been Jim’s top client, back in the days when he sold for a living – last month. Now, he was Ellen’s responsibility because Roderigo’s company was located in her territory—Jim’s old territory.
Jim hesitated, glancing at Ellen. She was still so green. She barely understood the product catalog, let alone the nuances of handling a high-profile client like Roderigo. If he looped her in, it would only slow things down, and Roderigo had always appreciated Jim’s efficiency. Besides, Jim reasoned, Ellen could listen in and learn. He could bring her in on the next deal once she was ready. Right now, the priority is revenue.
“I need to take this,” Jim said, opening his laptop and clicking the Zoom link.
“Just listen, take notes, and you’ll pick up some things.”
Ellen nodded, slightly uncertain, but obediently poised her pen above her notepad.
ROLE CHECK!
The screen flickered, and Roderigo appeared, his usual confident smile in place. “Jim! Glad you could jump on so fast.”
“Always a pleasure,” Jim replied, leaning forward. “What’s going on?”
Roderigo launched into an update on his company’s expansion. They needed a massive reorder—bigger than anything Jim had ever handled with him before. Jim felt the old thrill of closing a big deal creeping in as Roderigo detailed the numbers. He nodded along, making quick calculations in his head. They nailed down the terms in what felt like seconds.
“I want to get this done today, Jim,” Roderigo said. “No delays, no back and forth. We trust you to make it smooth, just like always.”
Jim grinned, feeling the pleasant rush of being in control of a big deal. “Of course. I’ll set up everything and ensure the paperwork is handled personally.”
As he continued the call, Jim barely noticed Ellen sitting beside him, her expression shifting from attentive to sidelined. She wasn’t part of the
conversation. She wasn’t learning the nuances of the company’s sales
process, negotiating standards, or anything else. She wasn’t learning anything. She wasn’t even acknowledged. She thought to herself: That company is in my territory. If this is how he shows me, he’s got my back. . . maybe I picked the wrong company to work for.
Within fifteen minutes, the deal was done. Jim shook Roderigo’s virtual hand, promised to follow up with a contract, and ended the call. He leaned back, satisfied.
“Well, that was huge,” he said, turning to Ellen. “And lucky for you, you just got your first big client on the books!”
Ellen blinked. “Well … yeah, but … ”
“You’re going to hit the ground running,” Jim said, smiling. “I just know it. Roderigo is your responsibility from here on out, of course. Congratulations. You just earned a big commission on the company’s biggest account.”
Ellen forced a smile, but her grip on the pen had tightened. “But… I didn’t actually do anything.”
Jim clapped her on the shoulder. “You watched, you learned. That’s how it
starts. Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it.”
Jim failed to see that he had just set Ellen up for failure.
She hadn’t built a relationship with Roderigo. She hadn’t been part of the discussion. To Roderigo, she was a formality, a name on the paperwork.
Roderigo still saw Jim as his go-to contact, and the moment he needed anything, there was no question about who he’d be calling.
Ellen wasn’t learning—she was being sidelined. And worse, she now had the burden of managing a high-stakes client without the foundational knowledge or confidence to handle that relationship. Jim had imagined he was helping her by letting her listen in. In reality, he had undercut her authority, stunted her development, and ensured she would struggle unnecessarily during her critical first few weeks on the job.
Jim might have imagined he was laser-focused on the job of managing salespeople. In fact, he was laser-focused on playing a role that was no longer his to play. He never bothered to do a role check. He never bothered to ask himself: Is this my job now?
THE TAKEAWAY
The very first thing a sales manager should do when promoted from the ranks of the sales team is to turn over the client list to one or more members of the sales team. These clients should be properly informed of the change, appropriate “handoff” calls should take place, and the sales manager should firmly redirect any sales calls or visits by clients to the appropriate salesperson. No sales manager who wishes to earn the respect of a group of salespeople should ever do anything that says, in effect, “I don’t trust any of you enough to turn this relationship over to you—because none of you are good enough.” A great sales manager doesn’t just close deals—they empower their team to do so.
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