A sales team lead is responsible for providing day-to-day guidance and direction to a small group of sales representatives. They are hands-on with their team, coaching them on sales processes, motivating them to achieve quota, and helping them develop skills. A sales team lead is focused on the performance and development of the individuals on their team.
A sales manager oversees the operations and strategy of the broader sales organization. They manage multiple sales teams, set goals and quotas at the team and organization level, analyze sales data to identify opportunities, and work cross-functionally with other departments. A sales manager is focused on achieving the overarching sales objectives for the company.
Some of the core responsibilities of a sales team lead include:
Sales managers are responsible for:
Sales team leads have an on-the-ground perspective, engaging daily with reps and intimately understanding their challenges, skills gaps, and motivations. This helps them coach and develop team members for success. Sales managers take a big-picture view, looking at sales results across the organization, competitor activity, market conditions, and organizational priorities to set strategies.
A sales team lead is focused on helping their team members grow in their careers. A sales manager is focused on growing revenues and achieving sales objectives for the overall sales organization. Both perspectives are critical.
Sales team leads are individual contributors who still carry quotas. There is typically one sales team lead per team in an organization. Sales managers are people managers who no longer carry a quota. There are different types of sales managers, including division managers, regional managers, and national sales managers, depending on the structure of the sales organization.
As frontline sales leaders, sales team leads need excellent interpersonal skills to motivate team members and develop relationships. Sales managers need strong analytical abilities to interpret data and strategic thinking skills to develop sales plans.
Key skills for sales team leads include:
Key skills for sales managers include:
The typical career path is for a top performing sales rep to be promoted to sales team lead, and an experienced sales team lead to be promoted to sales manager. However, external candidates may also be brought in at the sales manager level for specific skills or experience. Some key steps along a typical sales career path are:
Sales Development Rep → Account Executive → Senior Account Executive → Sales Team Lead → Sales Manager → Sales Director → VP Sales
The sales team lead role is a transition from player to coach. It involves developing leadership skills while still remaining an individual contributor. The sales manager role is a shift into pure sales leadership and people management. It provides experience managing sales processes, teams, and strategy.
Sales team leads usually earn more than individual contributor sales reps but less than sales managers. According to PayScale, average national salaries are:
The increased compensation reflects the greater responsibilities and complexity of the sales team lead and sales manager roles. Geographic location, industry, company size, experience level, and other factors also impact average salaries. Sales managers earn the highest pay as they take on the most responsibility for overall sales organization performance.
The sales team lead and sales manager positions play integral yet distinct roles in driving sales success. Understanding the differences in focus, responsibilities, perspectives, and skills helps organizations optimize their sales leadership structure and build high-performing sales teams. With clear definitions, expectations, and career paths, companies can develop top sales talent and promote into sales leadership roles effectively.
The main difference between a sales team lead and a sales manager lies in scope, authority, and accountability.
A sales team lead is usually a top performing salesperson who also guides a small group of reps. The role is still very hands on. Team leads sell, handle accounts, and support peers with day to day questions, deal reviews, and onboarding.
A sales manager, on the other hand, owns the performance of the entire team. This role is less about individual selling and more about planning, coaching, forecasting, and execution. Sales managers set targets, design processes, conduct performance reviews, and report results to leadership. They are responsible for outcomes, not just activity. In short, a team lead supports execution, while a manager owns results.
A sales team lead focuses on operational support and peer leadership. Typical responsibilities include helping reps close deals, sharing best practices, mentoring new hires, and acting as a bridge between the team and the manager. Authority is usually informal or limited.
A sales manager handles strategic and people management responsibilities. This includes hiring, training, pipeline management, performance tracking, compensation planning, and cross functional alignment with marketing or operations. Sales managers also make decisions related to territory design, quotas, and resource allocation. The team lead role is execution heavy, while the manager role is ownership heavy.
Sales managers generally earn more than sales team leads due to higher accountability and leadership scope.
A sales team lead salary typically ranges from $70,000 to $95,000 per year, depending on experience, industry, and region. Variable pay may be limited or tied to both personal and team performance.
A sales manager salary usually falls between $90,000 and $140,000 per year, with a higher percentage of compensation tied to team targets and bonuses. In larger companies or high growth SaaS roles, total compensation can exceed this range. The pay gap reflects the difference in decision making authority, people management, and responsibility for revenue outcomes.
Sales managers earn more because they are directly accountable for revenue delivery and team performance. If the team misses targets, the responsibility sits with the manager, not the team lead.
Managers also invest time in hiring, performance management, forecasting accuracy, and long term planning. These responsibilities carry higher business risk, which is reflected in compensation. Team leads contribute to results but are not fully accountable for them.
A sales team lead job description focuses on supporting sales execution while maintaining individual performance. Common responsibilities include guiding junior sales reps, assisting with deal strategy, helping onboard new hires, and sharing best practices across the team.
Team leads often continue to carry a sales quota and manage their own pipeline. They may also provide feedback to management on team challenges and performance trends. The role is usually a stepping stone to formal sales management.
A sales manager job description emphasizes leadership, planning, and accountability. Responsibilities include setting sales goals, managing team performance, conducting coaching sessions, forecasting revenue, and ensuring process compliance.
Sales managers also work closely with marketing, operations, and leadership to align strategy and execution. Hiring, training, performance reviews, and compensation planning are key parts of the role. Success is measured by team results rather than individual deals.
A sales team lead role is ideal for professionals who want to test leadership while remaining close to selling. It helps build coaching and mentoring skills without full management pressure.
A sales manager role offers stronger long term career growth for those aiming for senior leadership positions such as Director of Sales, VP of Sales, or Chief Revenue Officer. It requires giving up individual selling in exchange for ownership of team performance. The better role depends on whether you want to grow as a seller mentor or as a people and revenue leader.
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