There’s no time like the present for sales success. In the 1990’s, when we began guiding new executives to have rapid success in their new roles, “rapid” meant about six months. At the speed of business today, that window has closed to no more than 3 months. 

This creates a challenge since executives switch roles every three years, on average. It’s difficult to perfect your tennis serve if you practice only once every three years. Yet, you must still have a strong start in a new role even though you rarely get to practice. 

If you’re about to assume a new executive leadership role, here are a few things that will help you create a positive impact, quickly.  These strategies help you toggle between active learning for your new role and live business testing to engage in the real world. 

1. Design and execute your learning strategy

There is no way you can learn everything the first few months of your role, but how well you learn and apply is the single most important factor to your success.  Before you even start the job, activate your learning by doing a quick but thorough assessment of the business, the people, and your own style of learning. Trust your hunches since it’s all you have to go on now. Then, design a prioritized and focused plan to build your capacity to make good future decisions. Learning efficiently will become your competitive advantage.

Note: You must identify mentors and good sources of information who can help you speed your learning. Chosen wisely, these people will become your greatest advocates. They emotionally invest in your success as they invest their knowledge in you.

2. Win small but fast

You came to the role with great fanfare, but now you must show you can deliver. Don’t swing for the fences just yet. Even before you understand this business, apply your smart business mind to find small but meaningful things your team can quickly accomplish. Your salespeople can probably tell you what they are. Make them happen, then advertise your team’s success across the company. This builds momentum. The takeaway: this new leader really can deliver. We can trust him/her.

3. Find the power

Don’t confuse the map with the territory. The people whose names are at the top of the org chart rarely have all of the power. Identify the people who have power and what kind – to make decisions, to provide information, to kill a deal, to influence a key decision maker. This will help you prioritize your time in building relationships.

4. Learn the native language, then teach

You must learn to speak the language of this new company/division.  You were hired to be different, but if you show up as totally different, you’ll trigger organ rejection. The fastest way to offend is to speak a different language, even if you think you’re saying the same things.  Eventually, you can take people to a new place, but you must learn the native tongue before people will follow you.

5. Test your team limits, immediately

Your new role is too big to win solo. You need your team to thrive quickly. You may not yet know if you have the right players on the team, so give them challenges to show let them show you what they’ve got.  If they’re strong, they’ll carry the business forward, and you’ll have identified an ally. If not, you’ve quickly learned something that months of 1-on-1 meetings would have never revealed.

This approach is not for the faint of heart.  But it’s proven successful many times, plus it allows you wisely invest your time so that you’ll not only have an instant impact at work – you’ll be able to have a life outside of it. 

Learn more sales management success tips with the free Salesforce ebook below.