Promoting members of your sales team is part of the life cycle of a sales career. Sales reps will get promoted and move into more senior sales and management roles.

When you decide to promote a rep can have a big impact on their career and affect your sales team. Therefore, the timing of promotions can be just as important as giving out the promotion.

When Is the Right Time to Promote Your Sales Rep?

Here are some key signs sales recruiters agree on that it is the right time to promote your sales rep and give them a new challenge:

1. They are no longer challenged

There will come a time when top performing sales reps will no longer feel challenged. This is often because they have outgrown the position they are in. When this happens, they could become complacent, or start looking for new challenges. For some, this means looking for somewhere else to work, unless you promote them.

2. You have an adequate replacement

Even though you may have wanted to promote a rep for a while, you need someone to replace them. Finding an adequate replacement makes it easier to transition a rep out of their old role and into a new one.

3. They consistently make quota

A sure-fire sign a sales rep is ready to make the leap is if they are always making quota. Great performance is always a sign a rep is ready for a new challenge – whether taking on more senior accounts or even moving into management.

4. They take initiative

When reps take initiative, they will get noticed. Reps who help out the team and do things without having to be prompted prove their work. These are the reps who take on extra work, help run sales meetings, and act as an informal team leader.

5. Show leadership skills

Sales recruiters and companies are always looking for that next person to step up into a sales management role. When reps display leadership skills, it’s an obvious sign they are a good candidate to take the leap and become a sales manager.

6. They show interest in new challenges

A final obvious sign it’s time to promote a rep is if they are actively seeking out new challenges.  They want to do new things, and by making it known they want to do different things, they are indirectly telling you they want to take a step forward in their career.

More Tips From Sales Recruiters for Managing Sales Reps

4 Ways to Properly Evaluate Your Sales Team and Make Them Even Better

Do You Have Enough Reps on Your Sales Team?

Do Good Salespeople Have to Be Outgoing and Have a Big Personality?

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