Our top salesperson is in our Sales Leader seat on the Accountability Chart. They are incredible at closing deals, but they are a terrible manager and the rest of the sales team is suffering. How do we resolve this without losing our best revenue generator?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a very common trap. Owners often promote their top salesperson to sales manager as a reward, assuming that great selling skills translate into great leadership. In reality, these are two entirely different skill sets.

To resolve this, you must evaluate the person using the GWC™ framework for the Sales Leader seat. While they clearly Get it and Want it when it comes to sales, do they have the Capacity to manage, train, and hold others accountable? Often, the answer is no. A top salesperson typically wants to be out in the field closing deals, not sitting in weekly meetings coaching junior reps.

You can use behavioral tools like the Predictive Index to confirm this. A profile with high dominance and extroversion might make them a great individual hunter, but if they lack the patience or structure required for management, they will struggle in a leadership seat.

The solution is to decouple sales leadership from individual selling. Create a clear path that allows them to remain an individual contributor, perhaps as a Chief Revenue Producer or Key Account Director, where they can make the highest financial impact and feel highly valued.

Then, find a true Sales Leader for the management seat, someone whose primary joy comes from building and coaching a team. Be honest with your top producer: explain that you want to maximize their strengths and earnings, and that forcing them into a management seat is hurting both them and the company.