How to Hire a Sales Manager: The Job Is Checking, So Hire Someone Who Will

By Ken Lundin, CEO of RevHeat

Most companies hire a sales manager for charisma. Then they wonder why the number doesn’t move. The job is not inspiring the team. It’s not running Monday meetings. The job is checking whether the last call ran the way it was supposed to.

When we started working with Hidden Level in 2017, 95% of their pipeline was unqualified. After implementing proper oversight—someone who actually checked the calls—100% of pipeline became qualified and predictable. The difference was not motivation. It was enforcement.

Key Takeaway: How to hire a sales manager starts with defining the actual job: checking whether reps ran the process on the last call, then coaching the next one. Most interviews test charisma and experience. The right interview tests whether the candidate will listen to calls, spot the missed step, and hand the rep a next move by Monday. Companies in the $30M-$75M stage should institute formal coaching cadences and add data-driven coaching layers—but only if the manager you hire will actually run them.

TL;DR

Prerequisites / What You Need

Before you start interviewing sales manager candidates, you need:

• A documented sales process—the steps you expect reps to run on every call. If you don’t have this written down, the manager has nothing to check against.
• Access to call recordings—the manager’s job is listening to calls and spotting missed steps. If you’re not recording calls, you’re hiring a manager who can’t do the job.
• A success profile—the specific behaviors and skills the role requires. Use a sales ability assessment framework to define what “good” looks like before you interview anyone.
• Scorecard interview questions—a structured set of sales interview questions to ask that predict whether the candidate will actually check the calls, not just talk about checking them.
• Sample call recordings for the interview—you’ll ask candidates to review a real call and deliver coaching. Have 2-3 recordings ready.

Step-by-Step: How to Hire a Sales Manager Who Will Check the Calls

Step 1: Define the Job as Checking, Not Leading

Write the job description around enforcement, not inspiration. The first line should say: “You will listen to every rep’s calls every week. You will hand each one their next move by Monday.” If that’s not in the job description, you’ll attract the wrong candidates. You’ll get people who think the job is running team meetings and setting quotas.

Most job descriptions say “motivate the team” or “drive revenue growth.” Those are outcomes, not the job. The job is checking whether the process ran on the last call. The job is spotting the missed step. The job is coaching the next one.

A sales leader with $1B in past sales credited RevHeat as “the best methodology I’ve ever seen.” Not because of motivation. Because someone finally checked whether the process ran.

Step 2: Screen for Process Discipline in the First Call

In the first phone screen, ask: “Walk me through how you’d coach a rep who just lost a deal.” Listen for whether they say “I’d listen to the call” or “I’d ask them what happened.” The first answer means they check. The second means they take the rep’s word for it.

Then ask: “How many calls do you listen to per week?” If they say “I try to get to a few” or “I listen when there’s a problem,” they’re not a checker. You want someone who says “I listen to every rep’s last three calls every Monday.” You want a system.

According to research by SalesHive (2025), top-performing SDRs average 60-80 daily dials. Average performers hit 40-50. A manager who doesn’t check calls has no idea which bucket their reps are in.

Step 3: Give Them a Real Call to Coach

Send the candidate 2-3 call recordings. Say: “Review these and send me one coaching move per rep by end-of-day tomorrow.” This is the entire interview. Most candidates won’t do it. They’ll send a paragraph about “great energy” or “needs to ask better questions.” That’s not a coaching move.

A coaching move is specific. “On the next call, after the buyer says they’re happy with their current vendor, ask ‘What would have to change for you to look at an alternative?’ Then pause for six seconds.” That’s a move. “Ask better questions” is not.

Use the same standard you’d apply in your sales candidate assessment process. If they can’t deliver a specific next move from a call recording, they won’t do it when they’re managing your team.

Step 4: Test Whether They’ll Enforce or Excuse

In the second interview, describe a real scenario. “Your top rep just closed a deal by dropping price 40% in the final hour. The deal came in, but it’s half the margin you needed. What do you do?”

Listen for whether they say “I’d celebrate the win and coach them later” or “I’d pull the call, find where they lost control of the negotiation, and make sure it doesn’t happen on the next one.”

The first answer is an excuse. The second is enforcement.

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, Negotiating shows a 210% performance gap. Top negotiators use process-based approaches at 2.1x effectiveness. A manager who celebrates a bad deal because it closed will never close that gap.

Ask follow-up questions to ask in a sales interview that reveal whether they’ll hold the line when it’s uncomfortable.

Step 5: Verify They’ve Run the Number Themselves

Ask: “What was your quota in your last role, and what did you close?” Then ask: “Walk me through your three biggest deals. How did you qualify them? What was your discovery process? How did you handle the final negotiation?”

If they can’t walk through their own process in detail, they’ve never run one. You can’t hire someone to enforce a process they’ve never executed.

This is where most hiring managers get it wrong. They hire someone with a “VP of Sales” title who hasn’t carried a quota in eight years. That person has no idea what good execution looks like on a call. They’ll coach from theory, not from pattern recognition.

Use your seven-step sales hiring process to verify they’ve done the job before they manage it.

Step 6: Check Whether They’ll Use the Tools You Have

Ask: “Our CRM is [name]. Our call recording tool is [name]. Walk me through how you’d use those to coach the team.”

If they say “I’d pull reports and review them in our weekly one-on-ones,” they’re not checking calls. They’re checking CRM fields.

If they say “I’d listen to the last three calls for each rep every Monday, tag the missed steps, and deliver coaching by end-of-day,” they understand the job.

Then ask: “What would you do if a rep consistently forgets to log calls in the CRM?” The wrong answer is “I’d remind them in our one-on-one.” The right answer is “I’d pull their call recordings directly from [tool], coach them anyway, and address the logging issue separately. The coaching can’t wait for the CRM to be clean.”

This connects to your sales forecast model built from calls. If the manager won’t check calls until the CRM is perfect, your forecast will always be a guess.

Step 7: Make the Offer Conditional on a 30-Day Check

Hire them, but make the first 30 days explicit. “Your job is to listen to every rep’s calls. Hand each one a next move by Monday. Check whether they ran it on the next call. At day 30, we’ll review whether that’s happening.”

This isn’t a probation period. It’s a clarity period. You’re both testing whether the job you described is the job they’ll actually do.

Most managers will revert to running meetings and setting quotas if you don’t hold the line. At day 30, pull three random calls. Ask: “What was the missed step here, and what did you coach?”

If they can answer, keep them. If they can’t, they’re not doing the job.

This is the same rigor you’d apply in how to coach sales reps. The manager has to model the behavior before the reps will.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Hiring for Charisma Instead of Discipline

The biggest mistake is hiring someone who “feels like a leader” in the interview. But they have no system for checking calls. Charisma doesn’t move the number. Enforcement does.

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, Selling Value shows a 233% performance gap. Elite sellers position value at 2.3x by diagnosing before prescribing. A charismatic manager who doesn’t check whether reps are diagnosing will never close that gap.

Skipping the Call Coaching Exercise

Most hiring managers skip the “review these calls and send coaching” exercise. It feels like extra work. That exercise is the entire interview. If the candidate won’t do it before they’re hired, they definitely won’t do it after.

We’ve seen this pattern dozens of times. The candidate who says “I’d love to, but I’m traveling this week” is the same person who’ll say “I didn’t have time to listen to calls” in month two.

Hiring Someone Who Hasn’t Carried a Quota Recently

If the candidate’s last quota-carrying role was five years ago, they’re too far removed from the calls. They can’t coach effectively. They’ll coach from memory, not from current pattern recognition.

The best sales managers are people who were top reps in the last 18-24 months. They remember what good execution feels like. They can spot a missed step in real time.

Not Defining “Checking” in the Job Description

If the job description says “lead the sales team” instead of “listen to every rep’s calls and deliver coaching by Monday,” you’ll attract people who think the job is strategic. It’s not. It’s tactical.

The strategy is already set. The manager’s job is making sure it runs on every call. Define that upfront, or you’ll hire the wrong person.

Accepting “I’ll Get to the Calls When I Can”

In the interview, if the candidate says “I’ll try to listen to calls when I have time,” end the interview. The calls are the job. Everything else—pipeline reviews, forecast meetings, quota setting—comes after.

A manager who treats call coaching as optional will never enforce the process. The number will never move.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a sales manager candidate will actually check the calls?

Give them 2-3 call recordings in the interview. Ask for one coaching move per rep by end-of-day. Most candidates won’t do it. They’ll send vague feedback like “needs to ask better questions.”

A real coaching move is specific. “On the next call, after the buyer says they’re happy with their current vendor, ask ‘What would have to change for you to look at an alternative?’ Then pause for six seconds.”

If they can’t deliver that from a recording, they won’t do it when they’re managing your team.

What’s the difference between hiring a sales manager and hiring a VP of Sales?

A sales manager’s job is checking whether reps ran the process on the last call. Then coaching the next one. A VP of Sales sets the strategy. They own the forecast. They manage the managers.

Most companies hire a VP when they need a manager. They need someone to enforce the process that’s already defined. If you have fewer than 15 reps, you need a manager who checks calls. Not a VP who sets strategy.

Use the same sales interview questions that predict call behavior for both roles. But weight them differently.

Should I hire someone who’s managed a team before, or promote a top rep?

Promote a top rep if they’ve carried the quota in the last 18 months. And if they’re willing to listen to calls every week. Management experience doesn’t matter if the person has never run the process themselves. They’ll coach from theory, not from pattern recognition.

According to research by SalesHive (2025), top SDRs average 60-80 daily dials. Average performers hit 40-50. A promoted rep who was in the top bucket knows what good execution looks like. A hired manager who hasn’t carried a quota in five years doesn’t.

How many calls should a sales manager listen to per week?

Every rep’s last three calls, every week. For a team of five reps, that’s 15 calls per week. About 7-8 hours of listening and coaching.

If the candidate says “I’ll listen when there’s a problem,” they’re not a checker. The job is catching the slip before it becomes a habit. That means listening to every call. Not just the ones that went wrong.

This connects to your sales forecast model built from calls. If the manager isn’t listening, your forecast is a guess.

What if the candidate has great experience but doesn’t want to listen to calls?

Don’t hire them. The job is listening to calls and coaching the next one. Everything else—pipeline reviews, forecast meetings, quota setting—comes after.

A manager who treats call coaching as optional will never enforce the process. The number will never move.

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, companies in the $30M-$75M stage should institute formal coaching cadences. They should add data-driven coaching layers. If the candidate won’t run the cadence, they can’t do the job.

How do I test whether a candidate will enforce the process or make excuses?

Describe a real scenario in the interview. “Your top rep just closed a deal by dropping price 40% in the final hour. The deal came in, but it’s half the margin you needed. What do you do?”

Listen for whether they say “I’d celebrate the win and coach them later” or “I’d pull the call, find where they lost control of the negotiation, and make sure it doesn’t happen on the next one.”

The first answer is an excuse. The second is enforcement.

Should I hire a sales manager who’s used our CRM before?

CRM experience is a nice-to-have, not a must-have. The job is listening to calls and coaching. Not running CRM reports.

Ask: “Our call recording tool is [name]. Walk me through how you’d use it to coach the team.” If they say “I’d listen to the last three calls for each rep every Monday, tag the missed steps, and deliver coaching by end-of-day,” they understand the job.

If they say “I’d pull reports and review them in our weekly one-on-ones,” they’re checking CRM fields. Not calls.

What’s the biggest red flag in a sales manager interview?

When the candidate says “I’d ask the rep what happened” instead of “I’d listen to the call.” That’s the entire job. Listening to what actually happened. Not taking the rep’s word for it.

According to RevHeat’s State of Sales Skills original research, Selling Value shows a 233% performance gap. Elite sellers diagnose before prescribing. A manager who doesn’t listen to calls will never know whether the rep diagnosed or just pitched.

How long should it take to hire a sales manager?

3-4 weeks if you follow a structured process. Week 1: screen for process discipline. Week 2: send call recordings and ask for coaching. Week 3: second interview to test enforcement vs. excuses. Week 4: reference checks and offer.

Most companies rush this. They hire someone who “feels right” in two interviews. That’s how you end up with a manager who doesn’t check calls.

Use your sales candidate assessment process and your seven-step sales hiring process to avoid that mistake.

What should I pay a sales manager who will actually check the calls?

Base salary plus a percentage of team quota attainment. Typically 50-70% of what a top rep makes in base. With upside tied to the team hitting the number.

If your top rep makes $80K base + $80K variable, the manager should make $50K base + 10-15% of team quota attainment. The key is tying their comp to whether the team runs the process. Not just whether deals close.

A manager who gets paid the same whether reps follow the process or wing it has no incentive to check the calls.

How do I make sure the new sales manager actually does the job after they’re hired?

Make the first 30 days explicit. “Your job is to listen to every rep’s calls. Hand each one a next move by Monday. Check whether they ran it on the next call.”

At day 30, pull three random calls. Ask: “What was the missed step here, and what did you coach?” If they can answer, keep them. If they can’t, they’re not doing the job.

Most managers will revert to running meetings if you don’t hold the line. The 30-day check keeps them accountable.

What if I can’t afford a full-time sales manager right now?

Consider fractional sales leadership. A fractional sales leader can listen to calls, deliver coaching, and enforce the process. Without the full-time salary.

The key is finding someone who will actually check the calls. Not just advise on strategy. If you can’t afford full-time enforcement, fractional is better than nothing.

But don’t skip the enforcement step entirely. That’s how you end up with reps who wing it. And a number that never moves.

Bottom Line

How to hire a sales manager starts with redefining the job. Checking whether reps ran the process on the last call. Spotting the missed step. Coaching the next one.

Most companies hire for charisma and experience. Then they wonder why the number doesn’t move. The right interview tests whether the candidate will listen to calls. Deliver a specific coaching move by Monday. Enforce the process when it’s uncomfortable.

At Hidden Level, 95% of pipeline was unqualified before proper oversight. After hiring a manager who checked calls, 100% became qualified and predictable. Same reps. Same leads. Same market. The difference was someone who actually did the job.

Ken Lundin is CEO of RevHeat. Over 25 years he has sold, run sales teams and helped 200+ teams, including 5 unicorns, generate $1.5B in client sales, with two exits ($250M and $30M) and four appearances on the Inc. 500. He is a Forbes Business Council member and the author of Strategic Selling Unleashed, Broken Playbook and The SmartScaling Formula.