Seriously, what’s wrong with being a rock star? I’m taking about being a rock star seller. Why is it that leaders think the only career path to success is to go from rep to manager? I’m here to tell you, that is just nonsense. Sure, seeing a trajectory of a career is interesting. but why do we all believe that everyone has to take the same path?
I managed a rock star seller once and she had the right combination of skill, luck and respect from her clients. She crushed it year over year. She got 6 figure commission checks- regularly! Somebody put it in her head that it wasn’t enough. They told her that her resume was stale and it looked like she wasn’t progressing. She never wanted to be a manager. She got new clients every couple of years so she was growing, facing new challenges and she enjoyed her work. Yet that person had her questioning herself. She vocalized her concerns to senior management and they gave her a new title with the word “Senior” in it. Instead of anyone telling her that they valued her for her incredible skillset and her track record of winning- they gave her the title and told her that she should be grateful for her giant commission checks.
NOT EVERY GREAT REP SHOULD BE A MANAGER! This is a huge mistake folks make and leadership needs to consider- does this person delight in the success of others? If they don’t, perhaps putting them in a management position isn’t the right move. There are ways to promote sellers and to ensure they feel rewarded but successful sellers should not feel inadequate when they have a stellar track record and bring profit to the bottom line.