Why sales managers struggle without a defined sales process, and what companies running on EOS® can do about it.
So you finally filled the sales manager seat that's been open for months. Congratulations. I'm sure somebody on the leadership team did a small victory lap in the parking lot.
Before the celebration gets too far, I have a question: Did anyone run GWC™ on that seat?
Get it. Want it. Capacity to do it.
I'm talking about the actual responsibilities of the sales manager role, not the person's quota history or how many deals they closed last quarter.
Here's what I see happen in growing companies, particularly those running on EOS®. They finally decide they need someone managing sales, promote their best salesperson into the role, and assume the rest will work itself out.
Unfortunately, putting someone in charge of sales doesn't automatically create a sales management system.
And that's where the real problems begin.
Why Do Companies Struggle After Hiring or Promoting a Sales Manager?
Sales managers often struggle because the company hasn't clearly defined what they're supposed to manage, how success will be measured, or which sales process the team should follow.
Most companies fill the sales manager seat one of two ways. They promote their best closer, or they assign a player-coach who is expected to carry a personal sales number while simultaneously developing and managing everyone else.
Either way, the company has made a trade it probably never priced.
It may have taken its strongest salesperson out of production and placed that person in a role requiring an entirely different set of skills. Without the right training, expectations, and systems, the business risks losing a top performer while gaining an underprepared manager.
The problem isn't necessarily the person. It's that nobody clearly defined the job or equipped them to do it.
A successful salesperson knows how to win their own deals. A successful sales manager knows how to help other people win theirs.
That means coaching a salesperson through a lost opportunity without grabbing the phone and taking over. It means holding a likable, experienced rep accountable when performance slips. It also means knowing when to challenge someone's assumptions rather than accepting an optimistic forecast.
Those responsibilities require more than a history of strong sales performance.
What Should a Sales Manager Actually Be Responsible For?
A sales manager's primary responsibility is to improve the performance of the sales team through coaching, accountability, process management, and consistent performance measurement.
But that only works when the company has established what success looks like.
Is the sales manager role clearly defined on your EOS Accountability Chart™? Does the person in that seat understand what's expected? Have they received training in how to coach and develop other salespeople? Do quarterly conversations reinforce the responsibilities of the management role?
I've written before about the difference between managing your sales team and simply hoping they'll figure things out. A manager needs more than a quota and a weekly meeting to improve team performance.
But there's another question that matters just as much.
What exactly are you asking that manager to manage?
If the answer is unclear, you may have identified a much bigger issue than the person sitting in the seat.
Can a Sales Manager Succeed Without a Documented Sales Process?
A sales manager can produce results without a documented sales process, but building a consistently high-performing team becomes significantly harder when every salesperson follows a different approach.
Picture the promotion conversation.
"Congratulations, you're the sales manager."
"Great. What's the process I'm managing?"
"Just do what you did."
I've seen versions of this conversation play out more times than I'd like.
The company expects the new manager to improve sales performance, coach the team, forecast revenue, and hold people accountable. But nobody has established a consistent process for prospecting, qualifying opportunities, conducting discovery, or advancing deals.
How can a manager coach discovery when nobody has agreed on what good discovery looks like?
How can they evaluate opportunities when "committed" means something different to every salesperson?
And how can they hold the team accountable for results when nobody has defined the behaviors and activities that should produce those results?
Without a common selling system, the manager ends up coaching based on personal experience rather than an agreed-upon standard.
Eventually, many managers fall back on what they know best. They jump into difficult conversations, rescue stalled opportunities, and close deals themselves.
Now the company has a very expensive salesperson with a bigger title.
How Does a Sales Process Improve Sales Coaching and Accountability?
A documented sales process gives managers a consistent framework for evaluating opportunities, identifying skill gaps, coaching behaviors, and holding salespeople accountable.
This is where the Sandler Selling System makes a difference.
Sandler provides a common methodology for qualifying opportunities, understanding the buyer's problems, discussing budget, identifying decision processes, and establishing mutually agreed-upon next steps.
Instead of asking salespeople whether they think a deal will close, managers can evaluate whether the opportunity has actually been qualified.
For example, when a salesperson tells their manager that an opportunity is likely to close, the manager can ask questions grounded in the process.
Has the prospect identified a compelling business problem? Have they discussed the financial implications of that problem? Do we understand how the buying decision will be made? Have both parties agreed on what happens next?
These aren't questions designed to interrogate the salesperson. They're questions that help the manager determine whether the opportunity is genuinely qualified and where additional coaching may be needed.
The distinction matters. As we explain in our guide to sales training that improves closing rates, many closing problems begin much earlier in the sales process.
And installing a selling system isn't simply a matter of teaching a new technique. It requires reinforcement, management involvement, and consistent application. That's something we explore in What Makes Sandler Sales Training Different?.
When managers have a process they understand and can coach, they can spend less time rescuing opportunities and more time developing the people responsible for them.
Over time, that creates something far more valuable than a few additional closed opportunities. It creates a repeatable approach to selling that doesn't depend on one individual.
How Can EOS Companies Connect Sales Rocks to a Repeatable Sales Process?
For companies running on EOS, sales challenges often appear on the Issues List or become quarterly Rocks.
Maybe the team isn't hitting its number. Revenue has flattened. Experienced salespeople have become comfortable, and leadership isn't sure what needs to change.
Eventually, someone establishes a Rock that sounds like "Land 12 new clients this quarter."
That's a measurable goal, but it doesn't explain how the team will achieve it.
A sales-related Rock is more actionable when the company identifies the sales activities, behaviors, and process improvements necessary to produce the desired result.
I recently addressed this in Why Your Sales Rock Keeps Going Off Track (and How to Fix It). A revenue goal needs a selling process and measurable behaviors behind it, or the leadership team may not discover the problem until it's too late in the quarter.
The EOS V/TO® helps leadership clarify the company's vision and execution priorities. The Sandler Selling System can help the sales organization establish the selling behaviors, coaching practices, and processes needed to support those priorities.
EOS provides an operating framework for the business. Sandler provides a selling methodology that can help the sales team execute within that framework.
The objective isn't to add another layer of complexity. It's to give the sales manager a consistent way to develop people and improve performance.
Otherwise, the Rock becomes another revenue target without a clearly defined path to success.
And when the quarter ends, everyone is left wondering why the team didn't hit the number.
How Do You Know If Your Sales Team Has a Consistent Sales Process?
Here's a simple exercise I recommend for CEOs, Visionaries, and Integrators who want to understand how consistently their sales organization operates.
Ask your sales manager to write down the first step of your company's sales process.
Then ask your top salesperson to do the same.
Don't let them compare notes.
How close are their answers?
If one person says prospecting, another says building rapport, and someone else says preparing a proposal, you may have uncovered a problem worth addressing.
The goal isn't to make every salesperson sound identical. It's to establish a common process that gives people the flexibility to use their individual strengths while maintaining consistent standards.
If your salespeople can't agree on the process, it's worth asking what your sales manager is actually coaching them to do.
How Can Sandler Help EOS Companies Build a High-Performing Sales Organization?
Sandler helps companies develop a repeatable sales process, strengthen sales management capabilities, and establish consistent coaching and accountability practices.
The solution isn't necessarily to replace the manager, hire more salespeople, or increase activity targets.
Often, the more productive starting point is to examine the selling system itself.
At Sandler by Sales Sellutions360, we help companies establish a comprehensive sales development system that connects sales leadership, sales management, and frontline selling behaviors.
That can include developing managers into effective coaches, implementing a consistent sales methodology, improving qualification and forecasting, and creating accountability around the behaviors that drive results.
For organizations running on EOS, this can help connect the priorities outlined in their V/TO® with the day-to-day selling behaviors necessary to support those goals.
The objective is to build a sales organization capable of producing consistent performance without depending on the owner or a single top-performing salesperson to close every important deal.
Because filling the sales manager seat is only the beginning.
The real question is whether you've given that person a system worth managing.
Let's Talk About Your Sales-Related Rock
I'm Amy Sulka with Sandler by Sales Sellutions360.
I work with Visionaries and Integrators of companies running on EOS who have a sales-related Rock they're struggling to accomplish.
The companies I work with are often very good at what they do, but they're dealing with flat or declining revenue, salespeople who have settled into comfortable routines, or uncertainty about how to reach the next level of growth.
My work focuses on helping those organizations install a comprehensive selling system, from developing sales leaders and managers to training salespeople and establishing the processes needed to build a high-performing sales organization that lasts.
If you're wondering whether your sales manager has the right system to succeed, let's schedule a 15-minute introductory conversation to explore whether there's a fit.
Visit Sandler by Sales Sellutions360 to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Management and EOS
What is the biggest mistake companies make when promoting a salesperson to sales manager?
One common mistake is assuming that strong selling skills automatically translate into strong management skills. Sales managers need additional capabilities in coaching, accountability, forecasting, and team development. They also need a clearly defined sales process to manage.
What is the difference between a sales manager and a sales leader?
Sales managers typically focus on daily execution, coaching, performance measurement, and accountability. Sales leaders also establish strategy, organizational priorities, and the direction of the sales function. In smaller organizations, one person may perform both roles.
How does Sandler sales management training help companies running on EOS?
Sandler provides sales managers with coaching frameworks, a consistent selling methodology, and tools for improving salesperson accountability. These capabilities can support EOS organizations as they work toward sales-related Rocks and longer-term revenue goals.
Should a company document its sales process before hiring a sales manager?
Ideally, a company should establish clear expectations and a repeatable sales process before or during the hiring process. If a manager is already in place, documenting and implementing that process can become an important early priority.
How can a CEO tell whether their sales manager is effective?
An effective sales manager should be able to explain the company's sales process, evaluate opportunities against consistent qualification criteria, coach individual salespeople, and demonstrate how team behaviors contribute to measurable sales results.
Trademark and Affiliation Disclaimer
EOS®, Entrepreneurial Operating System®, V/TO®, and Vision/Traction Organizer® are trademarks of EOS Worldwide, LLC. Other EOS-related terminology and tools referenced in this article, including GWC™ and Accountability Chart™, are trademarks of EOS Worldwide, LLC.
Sandler by Sales Sellutions360 is an independently owned and operated Sandler franchise and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by EOS Worldwide, LLC. References to EOS and its proprietary tools are provided for informational purposes only.