Positioning your wider team for success starts with making sure your sales organization is set up for success. So much of what happens in a business starts in sales. For example, if you sign a customer whose expectations are disconnected from what your fulfillment team normally does, you are asking for problems both internally and externally. Alternatively, you could onboard a new customer at an unrealistic price or conditions that would have negative flow on effects to every department in your business.
Yes, sales needs to bring in new customers, but your goal isn't merely to meet targets but to foster an environment where your whole team thrives. Balancing individual autonomy with teamwork is essential to ensure each member’s strengths contribute to collective success.
Here’s a few things to consider as you position your sales organization for success:
1. Hiring is about Precision
The impact of not hiring right seems obvious, like wasted time and energy with salespeople that don’t work out. But the cost of lost time to the business is far greater. One salesperson that fails can put your business 6 months behind while saying goodbye to your annual revenue goals.
Take your time and really make sure you have the right candidate. Here are a few tips I’ve learned from hiring many salespeople over the years:
Education. A lot of very successful salespeople fail their studies while becoming extremely successful in sales. Someone who can learn from the school of hard knocks is often better than someone who looks great on paper.
Energy and Drive. Look for candidates with a combination of drive, passion, discipline and a track record of success. These people have often left their last company because they did not like their boss, not because they failed to perform.
Ideal Characteristics. What kind of salesperson are you looking for? There is a big difference between a salesperson who has a 1-week close cycle to someone who needs to stay on the case for 9 months to close the deal. Define these skills clearly then ask situational questions where they need to give you an actual situation where they utilized these skills.
The Downside. Every salesperson comes with a downside. They don’t like being overmanaged, they are weak at cold calling, they blow up relationships, they struggle with paperwork. What downsides are you OK with, and which ones are you not? Don’t hire until you are clear about what their downside is and how you will manage it.
Clear Expectations. Hiring is a 2-way street. Communicate the job expectations clearly and honestly. Make sure they understand the key metrics you will be evaluating them on.
Hiring the right salespeople is crucial to avoid setbacks in meeting your business goals, building a team that will love working for you, and making sure the business runs smoothly in every aspect. It's important to understand candidates with clarity in both their strengths and acceptable weaknesses to ensure a good fit for your company's future.
2. Training is a Lifestyle
Some businesses like to throw salespeople in the deep end - the dump and run. “They will figure it out!” Real managers understand that effective training will yield the results the business needs even when hiring highly experienced salespeople. Why do the top sports teams have training camps for people who certainly know what they are doing? They want to set the team and each person up for success. We can all learn something that can improve our game.
Training salespeople is vital because it equips them with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively engage with customers, understand their needs, and close deals. Well-trained salespeople can better articulate the value of a product or service, adapt to different buyer personas, and navigate complex sales processes, which leads to increased customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.
Additionally, continuous training helps sales teams stay updated on industry trends, new products, and competitive landscapes, ensuring they can confidently address objections and challenges. This investment in training not only boosts individual performance but also enhances overall team morale and productivity, ultimately driving business growth and profitability. Here are a few areas that are key to the lifestyle of sales training:
Sales Process. Firstly, make sure you have a sales process. This makes your new business acquisition so much more predictable. Then, make sure they understand it. Not just the process, but each step; the Why and the How. A few salespeople will fight your process, wanting to do it their way. “Learn our way first and master that, then you have the right to break the rules if you think it makes sense.”
Real-world Scenarios. Nothing beats role-playing over and over again until they really get it. The more they test themselves with you, the more battle ready they are.
Continuous Learning. Implement ongoing training and coaching sessions to maintain and improve skills. Each salesperson is different and will require work on specific areas. This is the difference between having an average team and a great team. The best teams I have built over the years are those where I coached each person to be their best within our process, based on how they were wired.
Relationship Building. As a final note to this section, it sometimes feels like this obvious one is often overlooked in today’s high tech what have you done for me lately environment. Building relationships with prospects, caring about their needs and ensuring you continue that relationship to build a lifetime customer is still a fundamental of sales success. The best salespeople know that building relationships, even if they do not get the sale, is just good business.
3. Great Sales Management is about long-term Success
They say successful people don’t leave companies; they leave managers. I have hired many a great salesperson because they did not like their previous manager. The success of your team is as much up to you as it is up to them. Those managers who think the problem is all about the salespeople not performing and have not examined their own management style are at peril of having a continuously revolving door of salespeople coming and going.
Sometimes our management style needs to change. In certain environments we may need to lead from the front, while in others we may need to lead from behind or from the side. Understanding your different options with the primary goal of motivating your team is important to being successful in this area. Here are a few thoughts on management style that will build loyalty and success within your team:
Accountability & Feedback. Be fair with everyone and let them know your expectations. Establish clear metrics, get buy in and then hold them accountable. This means working with them weekly, so they understand any gaps in their performance and know you are there to help them improve week to week.
Motivation. Understand what drives each team member; and customize your approach accordingly. Some salespeople want a lot of support while others want the freedom the roam.
Leadership. Adjust your leadership style to motivate diverse personalities and foster teamwork. High drivers may need some coaching on building relationships while outgoing extroverts may need you to keep them focused.
Vision. People want to follow someone that is going somewhere. “I’m talking about the place we are going to as a team.” The how, when, why, what, and where of the exciting journey we are taking together. It will involve pain, challenges, highs and lows, personal growth and of course celebration as we hit those key targets along the way.
Conclusion
Hire with Precision, Adopt Training as a Lifestyle, and Be the Sales Leader the Team is looking for. With these 3 running together – the wind is in your sails. Happy sales!
Stephen E. Wright
Practical Business Growth Consulting