Hiring a sales manager is common in sales recruiting. Sales managers come and go. However, special attention needs to be paid when hiring a brand new sales manager – someone who is taking on the role for the first time. It’s important that you not only fill the position within a reasonable timeframe, but you also find a person who can adequately fill the role. This will not come without its challenges. Any time you hire a person who is new to any role, not just sales management positions, there will be a transition period for the person and the department they are heading up.

Top Challenges When Hiring a New Sales Manager

1. Can they transition from rep to manager?

It’s common for companies to fill a sales manager role with a top sales rep. However, making the transition from sales rep to sales manager does not always work out. They are similar but very different positions. Plus, you will have the challenge of trying to find another sales rep to replace the top rep.

2. Should you hire internally or externally?

This is another common question that sales companies have to consider. Do you hire from within and provide someone internally with the opportunity to take the next step in their career? Or do you hire someone from outside of the company who has experience in the role? Both can potentially impact sales rep performance and organizational culture.

3. Experience or fresh perspective?

Is your company ready to hire a new sales manager who lacks experience, but will provide you with a fresh perspective? Are you ready to invest the time and effort into ramping them up for the position and grooming them to become a top sales manager for your company?

4. Expectations:

With all new sales managers, there has to be some leniency to allow them to grow into the role. Everything is new to them, and it will take time to ramp up. But there is also the expectation with the new role that they will take on the new responsibilities and grow into the position quickly. The challenge is finding the right balance between expectations for the role and giving the new sales manager time to grow. You can’t be too lenient or it could impact performance.

More Advice for Hiring Sales Managers

6 Tips to Be a Successful Sales Manager

The 5 Qualities of Top Sales Managers

7 Key Characteristics of a Successful Sales Manager

SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We recruit sales people in every sector of the economy including, software, manufacturing, financial services and medical devices. Find the right sales person for your organization, start your search here.