Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • May 3, 2023
  • Article
  • TrainingIndustry.com

What Top-Performing Sales Managers Do Differently

By: Mike Schultz and Frank V. Cespedes
  • Format:Electronic
ShareBar

Abstract

Sales managers hire reps, influence their training, provide (we hope) feedback and so reinforce good selling behaviors, and are key in the execution of growth and change initiatives. In a study of more than 1,000 sales managers and sellers across industries, we found that these managers have an outsized impact on performance, and the people who report to them recognize that. The research analyzed skills and behaviors that are in most sales management job descriptions. This article outlines what top-performing sales managers do in three areas: rhythm (establishing a coaching cadence), roles (making the transition from salesperson to manager), and conversations (how managers discuss opportunities and managing customer interactions).

Keywords

Management Practices and Processes; Sales; Performance Effectiveness

Citation

Schultz, Mike, and Frank V. Cespedes. "What Top-Performing Sales Managers Do Differently." TrainingIndustry.com (May 3, 2023).
  • Read Now

About The Author

Frank V. Cespedes

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • August 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Aphro Beverages

    By: Frank V. Cespedes
    • July 2023
    • Faculty Research

    Belden and Digital Transformation: From Product Sales to Solutions Sales

    By: Frank V. Cespedes
    • May 2023
    • Top Sales Magazine

    Where Sales Technology (Really) Helps

    By: Frank V. Cespedes
More from the Authors
  • Aphro Beverages By: Frank V. Cespedes
  • Belden and Digital Transformation: From Product Sales to Solutions Sales By: Frank V. Cespedes
  • Where Sales Technology (Really) Helps By: Frank V. Cespedes
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College