There is strong competition between employers for qualified sales managers. This trend should continue as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a 4% increase in sales management jobs and more sales managers are retiring.

This leaves business owners with the options of hiring from the outside or promoting from within your organization. Promoting one of your salespeople has some obvious advantages: knowledge of your industry, business, and personnel. But consider these questions before you proceed:

• Does the salesperson possess the requisite skills for leadership, strategic planning, and conflict resolution?
• Can the salesperson adjust from being a peer to being a manager (and can the rest of the team adjust to being managed by a former peer)?
• How will sales be impacted by the “loss” of a top performer?

These are just a few of the questions that must be addressed if this transition is to be successful. And, while you may find that your best candidate is within your company, you will be creating an open position for a sales representative.

No matter which option you choose, managing turnover is always a challenge for a business owner. You wear many hats (sales, marketing, operations, finance, and human resources to name a few) and hardly have enough hours in the day for these, let alone the added responsibilities of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training a new sales manager and/or new salesperson.

Some owners have opted for engaging outside help in the form of a Fractional Sales Manager to supplement their efforts and to infuse needed expertise into the process. A Fractional Sales Manager (think “part time” mentor) can be engaged to help with the evaluation of candidates and the onboarding of a new sales manager and/or salesperson. They can assess the new employee’s training needs, determine activities for development, and hold them accountable during their first 90 days on the job or longer.

If you’ve grappled with turnover within your sales department or are anticipating some personnel changes, you can learn more about our Fractional Sales Management service for small and medium-sized businesses by calling 216-410-3024 or emailing us at info@keylangroup.com.