Essential Strategies For Sales Leaders Taking Charge of New Sales Teams w/ Bridget Gleason [Episode 34]

My regular guest on Front Line Friday is Bridget Gleason. Bridget is VP of Corporate Sales at SumoLogic. With more than twenty years of sales and sales management experience in the technology sector, Bridget joined SumoLogic’s executive team to lead and grow their inside sales organization. Her recent experience includes being VP of Sales for Yesware and SVP of Worldwide Sales for Engine Yard.

In this episode, Bridget and I share strategies that sales leaders should use when they assume responsibility for a new sales team. As an outsider, what are the steps you need to take to make an immediate impact? We talk about how to assess the capabilities of your new team, streamline sales processes, establish the right metrics and inspire and motivate sales reps to perform up to their potential. If you’re in charge of a sales team, be sure to join us for Front Line Friday!

In this episode of Front Line Friday, Bridget Gleason, VP of Corporate Sales at Sumo Logic, joins me to talk about one of the most critical transitions in any sales career, stepping in to lead a new team.

Bridget brings over two decades of experience leading sales organizations at Yesware, Engine Yard, and now Sumo Logic. We dive into the first moves every leader should make when taking the reins. How do you assess your team’s capabilities? How do you earn trust, drive alignment, and quickly diagnose what’s working—and what’s not?

We get into how to evaluate your team’s performance with real data, using tools like sales management software to surface insights that matter. And we talk about the importance of setting clear expectations and coaching to them consistently. If you’re not already using structured one-on-one coaching templates, we break down how these can accelerate rep development and accountability.

Metrics matter, but only the right ones. We explore how to identify the key sales KPIs that actually drive results. And how automating low-value tasks with smart sales processes can free your team to focus on what really counts—engaging buyers and winning deals.

If you’re a new sales leader, or prepping to become one, this episode gives you the blueprint. It’s not about control. It’s about clarity. It’s about building systems that support your people. And it’s about creating an environment where reps don’t just perform—they thrive.