Hello, and welcome to the strategy session. Nicola Cook here.
If you're still the primary closer in your business and feeling held back by director-led selling, the biggest friction point is your leadership structure. A common mistake is simply promoting your top salesperson to manager—a move that often sees them fail because it requires two entirely different skill sets.
To build a self-sustaining sales engine, you need to understand the distinct roles required to move from an owner-managed team to a high-performance sales machine.
The Three Levels of Sales Leadership
I always talk about the three levels of leadership within any successful sales organisation:
- Leadership of Oneself: The self-directed individual with a growth mindset, who manages their own time and decisions.
- The Sales Manager (aka The Drill Sergeant): This person is on the ground daily, checking the CRM, and drilling the team to improve performance and productivity. Crucially, they must have credibility with the people they manage, or they'll face constant pushback.
- The Sales Directorship (The Strategist): This person sets the strategy. They understand the entire sales algorithm and can write the plan, not just sell more.
The 100-Day Plan Test
When hiring for a strategist, I use a simple test: I ask them to write their first 100-day plan. If they don't immediately ask about the mechanics of the sales engine—things like customer groups, margins, average order value, conversion rates, and the team structure —they are not the strategic leader you need to achieve 10x company growth.
My Controversial Opinion: One Director
I disagree with the EOS model and believe you should have one singular Sales & Marketing Director. My experience shows two separate directors often butt heads all of the time. A singular director ensures a clear focus on the customer's journey. If they lack skills in one area, you backfill with a strong specialist.
Are you ready to stop your sales performance from falling?
Watch the full video now for the complete leadership blueprint!