“I can manage my sales team with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back,” said no sales manager ever. No matter how many years of experience you have, there’s always something you can do better. Those “somethings” are often leadership concepts, approaches and strategies you already know but just haven’t applied. If your sales team needs a boost in performance, these five tips might help you lead them to the next level.
Tip #1: Prioritize and Generate Enthusiasm about Training
If you’ve scanned our five tips, you’ve likely thought to yourself, “I already know this.” We’re not claiming to tell you something you don’t already know, but we are reminding you why these tips work so that you actually implement them. That’s the same role of training and continuing education.
Your sales team likely completed a corporate orientation and initial training about your products and services, but how much of that information actually sunk in? What happens when product lines or sales processes change?
Your company needs a robust training and education program that:
- Routinely reinforces key product information, sales processes and corporate culture
- Is responsive to changing client or company needs
- Is taken seriously
Your sales team will get on board when they see you value training and see the applicability of training to their performance and goals.
Tip #2: Segment Your Sales Team
You segment your leads and customers to make sure they are introduced to the products and services that best meet their needs, right? That’s a necessary first step. Go one step further—segment your sales team so that your leads and customers are paired with someone with the expertise that best meets their needs, too.
Your sales team are, undoubtedly, high performers, but not everyone performs equally well in all situations. Some sales people are great with small business leaders. Some prefer to work with large companies. Some sales people are fantastic phone presences. For others, having an in-person human connection may be what they need to shine. Know this about each of your sales reps so that you can pair them appropriately with your prospective and existing clients.
Tip #3: Carefully Consider Account Assignments
As a corollary to segmenting your sales team, take the time to thoughtfully assign new accounts. Assigning new leads or clients to sales reps based on caseloads (numbers) may seem fair, but it doesn’t serve your clients or your sales team well.
Personalize account assignment so that you can best ensure a good early relationship between your prospective client and your company.
Tip #4: Increase Transparency about Individual, Team and Company Performance
If you want a top performing sales team, you must do everything you can to eliminate drama and toxic internal conditions. Sales people are usually, by nature, competitive, but to use that to your team’s and company’s benefit, where each sales rep stands needs to be in the open.
At any time, you and your sales reps should know:
- Goals for the day, week, month and beyond
- How sales goals translate to company objectives
- The number and/or dollar value of each new sale
- Who has landed each new sale
How each member of your sales team allocates their time should also be transparent so that you can help reps reprioritize their time if the cost of acquisition for a low-value prospect is rising too high.
Tip #5: Individualize Your Incentive Program
Your company likely already has a sales incentive plan—commission, bonuses, etc. But when you need to boost morale, reinvigorate your team’s drive and increase performance, you may create new incentives, ones that speak to what each team member values individually.
New incentive campaigns allow you to get creative; it also invites you to get to know your sales team better because, if you don’t actually know what each member of your sales team values, then there’s only one way to find out—ask!
There you have them—our top five sales team management tips. Still need more help implementing them? Sales Focus Inc. has the solutions you need. We offer everything from sales management training to outsourced sales management (co-sourcing). Let our experienced team help you find the services you need for best sales performance. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
