The sales manager's map

Six areas of the job on one map, with a self-assessment and a plan for your first month.

Nobody told you what the sales manager job includes

Use it when: You have just taken the role and want a picture of the whole job.

You were a salesperson yesterday, and today you run the sales team. In the first weeks it helps to see the whole job before you fix any single part of it. The map gives you that view.

If you have run the team for a while and know which area is weakest, the map will mostly tell you what you already know. Skip it and go straight to that area.

The work splits into six areas of responsibility, linked by one customer path that runs from inquiry to payment and on past the sale. The six areas:

• People
• Process and stages
• Numbers and forecast
• Customers and first reply
• Management rhythm
• Relationship with the owner

Here is one way to spread it over the week. Monday: Section 1, on how a sales manager differs from a salesperson. It reads in one sitting.

Tuesday: the Self-assessment by zone sheet in Section 3, on paper or in the fillable file. Rate what happens in your team now.

Wednesday: pick two zones and write one first step for each in "My first month by zone" in the same Section 3. Two is what the map asks for, so a third can wait.

Before your next talk with the owner, look through the glossary of 30 terms: it puts the owner's language into plain words. Last, book a date 90 days ahead to repeat the self-assessment and compare the two.

Questions