A Week in the Life of a Manager

What

An effective sales manager doesn’t just inspect results; they drive behavior that produces predictable revenue.

This happens through a consistent weekly rhythm:

• Monday: Identify risk, set priorities, and define coaching focus

• Tuesday–Thursday: Coach execution using CRM evidence

• Friday: Calibrate the forecast and reinforce standards

Your role is to ensure the system is real across your team—pipeline, activity, contacts, and forecast all reflect reality.

Why

Visibility +coaching = predictable outcomes.

Without structure:

• Risks are discovered too late

• Coaching is based on opinions instead of data

• Pipelines become inflated or inaccurate

• Forecasts drift away from reality

With this approach:

• Risks and opportunities are identified early

• Coaching is consistent and evidence-based

• Sellers execute with discipline

• Forecasts are grounded in truth—not optimism

At its core: you’re not managing people; you’re managing behaviors that drive revenue.

How

How should my week look in CRM if I am a manager?

Mondays

Set Priorities & Identify Risk - Monday is about clarity. Define where attention is needed most.

Start in Dashboard --> Market:

• Review Next Step Alerts

  • Red = financial risk

  • Yellow = hygiene issues that can grow into risk

Learn about Next Step Alerts

• Review Top 10 Lists

  • Attrition & Non-Returning → identify risk

  • New & Increased → identify growth

  • Largest Pending → identify where focus is needed

• Check Market Aging

  • Spot stalled or aging deals

Move to Sales Team Dashboard:

• Identify:

  • Sellers behind pace

  • Sellers with low pending

  • Sellers not logging in

  • Who needs coaching this week

Review Sales Analysis:

• Compare pacing vs budget and YOY trends

• Determine where the gap will close:

  • Accounts

  • Sellers

  • Categories

After Monday, a manager should have:

• Reviewed and identified risks.

• Reviewed and identified opportunities.

• Clear expectations on opportunity discipline.

• Clear expectations on Sales Funnel hygiene.

Tuesday–Thursday

Coach Execution Using Evidence - These days are about coaching behavior, not guessing outcomes.

Run 1:1s using the 1:1 Agenda:

• Review last week’s commitments:

  • What got done?

  • What didn’t?

  • Why?

Learn more about the 1:1 Agenda

Coach using CRM evidence:

• Opportunities:

  • What changed?

  • What’s stuck?

  • Are stages accurate?

• Activity:

  • Is engagement consistent?

  • Are Target and Key accounts being worked?

• Contacts:

  • Is there full stakeholder coverage?

  • Is the seller multi-threading decision-makers and influencers?

• Sales Analysis:

  • Is pacing on track?

  • Is there a clear plan to close the gap?

Reinforce the behaviors that drive revenue:

• Entering pending early

• Maintaining communication cadence on targets

• Multi-threading across stakeholders

• Cleaning up unknown contacts

• Logging activity with clear outcomes

Midweek Funnel Health Check (30 minutes):

• Look for:

  • Stalled stages

  • Late-stage deals without evidence

  • Thin pipelines or low pending creation

After Tuesday-Thursday, a Seller should be able to articulate to the manager:

• Top 3 priorities

• Top 3 deals accompanied by next steps

• Gap-to-goal plans

Friday

Calibrate Forecast & Reinforce Standards - Friday is about alignment. Ensuring the forecast reflects reality.

Sales Analysis --> Forecasts

• Review forecast vs budget:

  • Market level

  • Seller level

• Validate that pending discipline supports forecast accuracy

• Apply judgment where needed to calibrate

Review Opportunities:

• Ensure pipeline reflects reality

• Confirm next steps exist for top pending dollars

Team Enablement:

• Share:

  • One insight (what’s working)

  • One correction (what’s drifting)

• Reinforce non-negotiables:

  • Every Opportunity must be in the Sales Funnel

  • Every activity must include outcomes

  • Target accounts must be actively worked

The Manager Standard (Weekly Checklist)

At the end of the week, confirm:

• Risks were identified early

• Coaching was based on CRM evidence, not anecdotes

• Opportunities discipline was consistent across the team

• 1:1s captured commitments and follow-through

• Forecast reflects reality by being calibrated, not optimistic.