Why New Inside Sales Managers Need to Lead from the Weeds

If you want to succeed as an inside sales manager, you can’t be afraid to get into the weeds with your team. You need to understand your reps’ process. You need to gauge the individual strengths and weaknesses of each rep. No two sales organizations are the same. But by watching your reps work, and even by selling on the front lines yourself, you can begin to grasp which sales processes  can be optimized and then replicated.

For our latest eBook, we asked some seasoned sales gurus what it takes to succeed in your first 90 days as an inside sales manager. Several leaders extolled the virtues of leading from the weeds.

“During the first two weeks, It’s critical for new managers to roll up their sleeves and get on the front lines. Without a true understanding of what it takes to sell successfully as an individual in an organization, it will be difficult to identify team-wide inefficiencies and best practices, as well as give reps proper guidance and coaching.”

-Ben Sardella
Co-Founder, Datanyze

“While a sales leader’s track record for success carries weight and inspires the troops with confidence, nothing beats demonstrating success at the new company. While it may (and does!) surprise prospects to reach the VP of Sales on the occasional inbound call, it’s essential. That kind of front-line duty keeps you aware of what your customers want and the challenges your sales reps face.”

-Whit Gaither
VP Sales, Revenue.io

“Spend good quality time with each of your people. Ride along with them, go on calls, get to know them as human beings. Learn how they do their jobs. Get into the weeds with them, look at details—how do they think about deal strategies, how do they use the CRM system, how do they prepare for a call, how do they prioritize and manage their time.”

-Dave Brock
President, Partners in EXCELLENCE

“Listen, be a sponge, realize that what worked at your last company may not work for this one. Your new team are people, and they are different than the people on your last team. You will not be able to manage them before you get to know them: what motivates them, what peeves them and which environments they thrive in.”

-Jaime Muirhead
VP of Sales, RingLead

Want more inside sales management tips from the world’s leading experts? Check out our free eBook, The 90-Day Inside Sales Success Plan for actionable management secrets from 21 top sales leaders!