You’ve just been promoted to Sales leadership. How do you avoid common mistakes and ensure success?

1 Know your role

As a Sales leader, your role is no longer to sell directly to customers, but to enable, coach, and motivate your salespeople to do so. You need to shift your mindset from being a star performer to being a leader who develops others. This means delegating tasks, empowering decisions, providing feedback, and setting clear goals and expectations. It also means being accountable for the performance, culture, and morale of your team.

2 Communicate effectively

Communication is key to any leadership position, but especially in Sales. You need to communicate frequently and consistently with your team, your peers, and your managers. You need to share information, updates, and insights that can help your team succeed. You need to listen to their challenges, concerns, and ideas, and address them promptly and respectfully. You need to align your team with the company's vision, strategy, and values, and celebrate their achievements and contributions.

3 Learn and adapt

As a new Sales leader, you have a lot to learn and a lot to adapt to. You need to learn about your team's strengths, weaknesses, personalities, and preferences. You need to learn about the market, the competition, the customers, and the products or services you sell. You need to learn about the systems, processes, and tools that support your sales operations. And you need to adapt to changing situations, expectations, and feedback. Don't be afraid to ask for help, seek advice, or admit mistakes. Be open to feedback, learning opportunities, and new ideas.

4 Build trust and relationships

Trust is the foundation of any successful Sales team. You need to build trust with your team, your peers, and your managers. You need to show them that you care about them as individuals, not just as numbers. You need to be honest, transparent, and consistent in your actions and words. You need to respect their opinions, perspectives, and inputs. You need to support their growth, development, and well-being. And you need to appreciate their efforts, recognize their achievements, and reward their results.

5 Balance your time and priorities

One of the biggest challenges of being a new Sales leader is managing your time and priorities. You have multiple demands on your attention, from coaching your team, to reporting to your managers, to collaborating with other departments, to planning and strategizing for the future. You need to balance your time and priorities effectively, without compromising your quality or productivity. You need to prioritize the most important and urgent tasks, delegate or automate the less critical ones, and eliminate or minimize the distractions. You also need to set boundaries, schedule breaks, and take care of yourself.

6 Have fun and enjoy the journey

Being a new Sales leader can be stressful, overwhelming, and demanding. But it can also be rewarding, fulfilling, and enjoyable. Don't forget to have fun and enjoy the journey. Celebrate your wins, learn from your losses, and embrace the challenges. Connect with your team, your peers, and your managers, and build meaningful relationships. Find your passion, your purpose, and your potential, and share them with others. And remember, you've earned this promotion, and you have what it takes to succeed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?