We promoted our top-performing salesperson to the Head of Sales seat on our Accountability Chart, but she is failing miserably at managing the team, updating the CRM, and running weekly meetings. She is a great culture fit. How do we move her back to a sales role without making it feel like a demotion?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting your best individual contributor to a management role is a classic mistake. The skill sets required to close big deals are completely different from the skills needed to manage, mentor, and hold other salespeople accountable. She is a Right Person in the Wrong Seat. To move her back to an individual contributor role successfully, you must reframe the change around her natural talent and her contribution to the company. Sit down with her and have a transparent conversation using the GWC tool. Explain that managing people requires a different set of activities that she clearly does not enjoy or have the natural wiring to do. Frame the transition as an elevation back to her true superpower, which is bringing in revenue, rather than a step down. Highlight how her contribution as an elite salesperson is actually more valuable to the business and our valuation than her struggling as an administrator. Adjust her compensation plan so she can make as much, if not more, money closing deals as she did managing the team. When you announce the change to the company, position it as a strategic move to unleash her sales talent to drive growth. This protects her ego, preserves her loyalty, and restores the integrity of your Accountability Chart.