A common mistake for new managers is to do their reps' jobs for them, especially in tough deals. This approach, born from insecurity or a desire to prove worth, prevents the team from developing self-sufficiency and ultimately fails to scale. The manager's true job is to build skills and muscle in their reps.

Experienced reps don't need the same oversight as junior sellers. The best managers add value by removing process friction. They skip tactical metric reviews and instead engage in strategic conversations, treating top reps as peers and helping them navigate complex team or deal dynamics.

Discipline can be taught with a good process, but devotion—a genuine passion for the "commercial sport" of selling—cannot. A devoted salesperson with moderate discipline will consistently outperform a highly disciplined but dispassionate one. Prioritize this innate drive when hiring.

First-time managers, often former top performers, default to doing the work for their reps. This creates dependency and prevents the team from developing self-sufficiency, which is crucial for scaling. A manager's true role is to build the team's skills, even if it's slower in the short term.

Promoting a top salesperson to manager is a common mistake because the skillsets are different. An effective sales manager is more like an engineer: analytical, process-driven, and capable of structuring pipelines and compensation plans. They build the sales machine; salespeople operate within it.

Transitioning from a top-performing rep requires a mindset shift from doing to enabling. A new leader's role is not to teach their specific 'Michael Jordan' method, but to align company and personal goals, then focus on removing obstacles for each team member's unique path to success.

Many sales organizations mistake "coaching the deal" for actual coaching. This is merely reactive performance management. True coaching focuses on developing a rep’s core capabilities—like discovery or closing—which prepares them for any future deal, not just the current one.

Younger managers often feel threatened when hiring someone more senior. This is an ego-driven mistake. Recruiting an 'all-star' who improves the team reflects well on the manager and demonstrates a powerful commitment to the company's success, not a personal weakness.

The skills of a top salesperson—individual execution and control—are often liabilities in management. A new manager's first task is to build a repeatable system for forecasting, pipeline management, and coaching, rather than jumping in to close deals themselves.