Considering A Salesperson For A Sales Manager Role, What Do You Look For?

The ABC Company has enjoyed significant growth over the last few years and has continually increased the size of its sales team. The CEO recognizes that a new layer of sales management is needed given the number of salespeople now on the team.

The Director of Sales has been moved into a Vice President of Sales role. The plan is to have two Regional Directors reporting to this Vice President with the salespeople reporting to them.

There are four veteran salespeople on the team who are also the top performers. The CEO would like to consider them for these two, new roles, but none of them have experience in sales management.

What should the CEO look for in these salespeople that would indicate their potential success as a sales manager?

What interview questions would you ask them?

What evaluation techniques would you use to determine role suitability?