Driving successful initiatives in any sales organization begins with first- line manager. The performance of sales reps is directly tied to the ability of these managers to play multiple roles effectively. This brief explores the importance of first-line managers in executing sales initiatives and the roles they must play in today’s b-to-b environment.

1. © SiriusDecisions. All Rights Protected and Reserved. 1
Research Brief
On the battlefield, it’s the generals who always seem to get the glory. But
although their cries to take the hill are what wartime lore is made of, it’s not
until the sergeants yell for their men to charge that the actual assault begins.
The same can be said for sales reps. While senior sales leaders continuously
exhort them to sell more, until first-line managers push them to make it
happen they tend to remain in their comfort zones. No role has greater
influence on the day-to-day success of a sales strategy than first-line managers,
who are responsible for turning executive vision into workgroup reality. In this
brief, we will explore the importance of first-line managers in executing sales
initiatives and the roles they must play in today’s b-to-b environment.
The Key Cog in the Wheel
In the performance-driven world of sales, the compensation plan is the
guidebook for aligning rewards and results. What it usually fails to describe is
how to reach the goals it lays out.
Enter the first-line sales manager. Arguably the toughest job in any company,
this role carries the combined quota expectations of a group of reps as well
as day-to-day responsibility for implementing corporate strategies from
selling business solutions to expanding wallet share and improving customer
satisfaction. First-line sales managers also are responsible for expanding sales
competencies through new processes, skills and knowledge, and supporting
the deployment of sales tools including leads, messaging, sales programs and
technologies.
Of course, if these managers are skeptical of or negative toward any of these
initiatives, you had better believe their attitude trickles down. The adoption of
sales force automation is a perfect example; analysis of rep usage is generally
correlated with how robustly their first-line manager has embraced the
technology.
A Day in the Life
Every day, first-line sales managers make decisions that will directly affect the
success (or failure) of their reps. These decisions span a number of key roles,
including:
• Leader. As day-to-day team leaders, first-line managers reinforce and
communicate the vision, strategy and direction of the company. Using
First-Line Managers: The Front Line of
Sales Success
Driving successful initiatives in any
sales organization begins with first-
line manager
The performance of sales reps is
directly tied to the ability of these
managers to play multiple roles
effectively
Focus on the development of first-line
managers to improve performance
and productivity, and to develop your
next generation of sales leaders

2. Research Brief
© SiriusDecisions. All Rights Protected and Reserved. 2
company-created (as well as personal) morals and value
systems, they will establish both the attitude and the
working culture of their teams.
• Manager. Every first-line sales manager sets expectations
for performance, attitude and compliance through
the development of plans for individual reps. Should a
rep falter, it will be his or her manager who develops a
performance improvement plan; if this fails, the manager
makes the hard decisions about the rep’s future, and then
begins the process to recruit, hire and train.
• Teacher. Irrespective of the competencies and experience
of their reps, first-line sales managers must be constantly
teaching and developing skills. The most successful training
events feature first-line managers as facilitators and owners
of translating classroom experience into field reality.
New techniques, tactics and strategies to improve sales
performance must pass through and be regularly reinforced
by first-line managers if they have any hope of sticking.
• Coach. Behind every great performer is a coach who is
able to get the most out of his or her talents. Whether it be
improving techniques, enhancing style, creating a positive
environment or motivating, this guiding force keeps a rep
focused on his or her goals and provides tough love when
necessary.
• Judge. Evaluating the performance, capacity and potential
of a rep is not only critical for that rep’s career, but for the
growth of the organization. Assessing weaknesses or gaps
in a rep’s skill set can prioritize training opportunities or set
expectations as to how far that rep can truly go in terms of
taking a next-level sales job or management position.
• Jury. Beyond the structure that compensation plans
provide, first-line managers reward performance and
proper behavior through recognition, likely the most
powerful motivator that doesn’t have a dollar sign in front
of it. Rewards and incentives highlight behaviors that don’t
always show up in the order log, but add to the perception
of a sales rep and become important considerations when
promotions or other career opportunities arise.
These various roles highlight the importance of first-line
managers not just in terms of delivering results, but in
creating a highly motivated, productive sales team. For
executives, this should mean that every initiative you create
must have a component to include and leverage the influence
of your first-line sales managers.
Show ’em Some Love
With all of these roles to master, it is unfortunate that first-
line managers are often overlooked when it comes to their
own training and development. A perfect example of this
comes from our research brief titled “The Facets of Forecast
Management,” where we reported that only 49 percent of
companies provided any manager training for assessing
and coaching to forecasts. This highlights the fact that many
organizations depend on their first-line managers to figure
things out for themselves, and consequently for their sales
reps. To get the most out of this critical group, we recommend
the creation of a platform that drives first-line manager
performance in four key areas:
• Sales management process. Just like sales reps, first-line
sales managers should have a documented set of processes
for each of their critical tasks including recruiting, hiring,
new hire ramp-up, skills assessment, business management,
coaching and career development. Unfortunately, it’s usually
the reporting processes for pipelines, forecasting and
expense management that get the most attention, leading
to managers who only have been trained to be forecast
accountants.
• Sales management training. Management processes must
be complimented with training to make them effective;
assuming a successful rep will be a successful manager
leaves much to chance. Sales training consumes between
1 percent and 1.7 percent of sales expense, and after
new hire, product and skills training for reps there always
seems to be little left over. We recommend creating a
sales manager development agenda to include new hire,
business management and people management skills, as
well as manager-specific modules for any rep training you
purchase (train-the-trainer). Not only will it help to improve
organizational productivity, it will build team morale and
improve organizational execution around new initiatives,
strategies and programs.
• Recognition. Between sales rep recognition and executive
backslapping, first-line sales managers are often left out.
The establishment of a formal recognition program for
first-line managers acknowledges the importance of the

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Research Brief
role and provides a vehicle to reinforce expectations and standards. In
addition to quota achievement, recognizing managers and their teams for
milestones such as training completion, new product certification or sales
force automation adoption draws positive attention to each initiative and
reinforces its benefits.
• Communication. Although they are one level away from the field, first-line
sales managers are – and should be treated as – part of the management
team. Developing a specific set of communication tools to reinforce the sales
strategy, share results, recognize performance and drive home key messages
gives sales leaders the ability to reach their reps through their managers.
Remember, it is much easier to target 100 managers than it is 800 sales reps.
The Sirius Decision
It is our belief that first-line sales managers play the most influential role in
improving the performance and productivity of the sales organization. Focusing
on their development through a sales management process, specific training,
focused recognition and a unique communication strategy not only will
improve the performance of these managers, it will improve the performance
of tens, hundreds or thousands of field reps under their direct control every
day. Think about it: How many of your first-line sales managers made their
plan last year?