What Nobody Tells You About Becoming a First Time Sales Manager

Most people step into their first sales management role because they were good at selling and good at putting themselves forward. Nobody sits them down and tells them it's a different job - or that the drive that got them there can be the same thing that burns them out. Callum Mackay got his first management role four years out of uni, and by his own admission was promoted too early more than once. He's the manager who leads from the front and coaches his team, and he's also the leader who spent a year under a target he couldn't hit before being signed off work with stress. In this episode he's honest about all of it. Callum sits down with our host Mark Ackers to talk about the first-time sales manager role, imposter syndrome, being a coach instead of a hero manager, and what it actually took to protect his own mental health while still hitting a number. 📥 Download the Modern Revenue Leader's Sales Coaching Manual https://bit.ly/3QTbqsJ In this episode: Why putting yourself forward before you feel ready is a career skill, and how to navigate it correctly The visibility trap: why being in the office made his effort obvious, and how to "hack" that visibility when you work remotely What Callum thought sales management was versus what it actually was Why "feedback is a gift" - and how to deliver it in the best way The year of stress that ended with him signed off work, and the habits he uses now to look after his mind and body Chapters: 0:00 Intro 2:11 From "crap at sales" to first-time sales leader 2:16 An early sales career mistake: forgetting a client meeting 3:16 Turning up late to a sales meeting and losing the deal 4:38 Getting promoted too early into sales management 6:11 Putting yourself forward for a role before you feel ready 7:37 Adjusting to a sales career measured on attainment 8:15 Why he got the sales manager promotion over his peers 9:33 Working hard and going above and beyond in sales 12:08 Why office visibility matters for career progression 12:42 Hybrid work: how to stay visible when working remotely 16:11 The sales training and coaching that shaped his career 19:45 What first-time sales managers think the job is vs reality 23:21 What imposter syndrome in sales management looks and feels like 26:00 Becoming a sales manager 27:36 Letting people down: why feedback is a gift 30:15 How to be a coaching sales manager, not a hero manager 32:36 Managing up when your sales numbers are down 38:39 Spotting and managing stress as a sales leader 46:25 Managing the guilt of taking time off for mental health as a sales leader 51:03 Recovering from stress and burnout About Callum Mackay Callum Mackay is a sales leader who moved into management early in his career, building and leading sales teams through startup and scale-up environments. He's open about the highs and the lows - from the buzz of a first sale with a team he built, to being signed off work with stress - and what both taught him about leading people well. About I Used To Be Crap At Sales Honest conversations about sales, leadership, and the parts of the job that don't make it into the job description. Hosted by Mark Ackers. New episodes every month. Subscribe so you don't miss one. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uhvimb... 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/i-... 🌐 Website: https://www.mysalescoach.com/iutbcas-... 🔗 Connect with Mark Ackers on LinkedIn:   / markackers   🔗 Connect with Callum Mackay on LinkedIn:   / callum-mackay-revenue-expert   🔗 Follow MySalesCoach on LinkedIn:   / mysalescoach-com   #SalesLeadership #SalesManagement #FirstTimeManager #SalesCoaching #SalesPodcast #B2BSales