High Performing Sales Managers: What They Do Differently

What Drives High Performing Sales Managers
Ask any seasoned business sales training executive what fuels exceptional revenue growth beyond having “the next big product,” and the answer almost always points to one critical factor: skilled sales managers. These leaders don’t just oversee teams — they inspire, coach, and drive performance. We call them high performing sales managers, and their impact on the bottom line is both measurable and profound.

Research from Wilson Learning highlights this effect: “high-skill” sales managers deliver 29% higher revenue performance and 16% higher customer satisfaction compared with their lower-skill counterparts — regardless of the individual selling capabilities of their team members. Complementing this, our organizational alignment studies consistently show that high performing sales managers are among the most powerful levers for sustaining profitable revenue growth. Teams led by these managers outperform peers 4-to-1 in quota attainment, underscoring the multiplier effect of strong leadership.

At its core, the connection is clear: high performing sales managers create high performing sales teams. Their expertise in sales coaching, strategy execution, and team motivation doesn’t just elevate individual sellers — it transforms the entire sales organization.

A Closer Look at What High Performing Sales Managers Do

Our sales leader simulation assessment has identified nineteen core sales leadership competencies, supported by sixty-six measurable micro-behaviors. These sales leader competencies span decision making, interpersonal skills, communication, delegation, customer focus, leading individuals, negotiation, influence, and planning, and prospecting — capturing the full spectrum of what makes a sales manager exceptional.

The encouraging part: every competency can be measured, benchmarked, and developed. While nineteen competencies and sixty-six micro-behaviors may seem overwhelming, the reality is simpler. High performing sales managers consistently excel in three overarching key areas — doing them better, more often, and with greater consistency than their peers:

1. Lead to Inspire Peak Performance
   Sales leadership is less about managing tasks and more about igniting a team’s drive to excel. High performing sales managers ensure every team member not only understands the sales strategy but fully embraces it — and is intrinsically motivated to achieve it.
   
   The question is simple but critical: are your sales leaders truly leading in a way that fuels sustained, high-growth performance?
   
   
2. Manage to Maximize Productivity
   High performing sales leaders actively manage performance, holding team members accountable to agreed-upon processes and key productivity metrics. They set clear, fair expectations, reward success proportionately, and address underperformance decisively. Through regular feedback, rigorous tracking of success metrics, and effective account and pipeline reviews, they maintain a constant pulse on what’s working — and what isn’t.
   
   The critical question: are your sales leaders managing performance in a way that truly unlocks their team’s full potential?
   
   
3. Coach to Elevate Capabilities
   The most effective sales managers know that sales coaching is the engine of sustained performance. They consistently assess the effectiveness of their sales reps, apply proven sales coaching frameworks, and implement tailored development plans that accelerate growth. Research shows high-growth sales managers spend roughly 25% more time coaching than their lower-performing peers — turning potential into measurable results.
   
   The question is clear: are your sales leaders coaching in a way that truly builds lasting sales capabilities?

The Bottom Line
Selling complex solutions has never been simple. Technology can help, but at the end of the day, sales organizations are driven by people — and it takes skilled sales leaders to equip them for consistent, high-impact sales success.

To learn more about what high performing sales managers do, download How to Optimize Your Sales Force in the Face of Increased Performance Pressure

Tristam Brown

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.