David Holdeman (Coach Dave) has more than 30 years of experience running or partnering in various service businesses.
He is the co-owner of the local TAB (The Alternative Board) franchise, specializing in helping small and medium-sized businesses run more efficiently. TAB is a peer-to-peer advisory board helping business owners work through opportunities and issues. For more info, email david@tabcsra.com.
Your sales team is the lifeblood of your business. They are your most accessible brand ambassadors and are often, the only points of contact with your customers. They are the people that, when motivated, can move the needle on your business. On the other hand, when your sales team is apathetic, undertrained, or just simply underperforming, revenue and profitability suffer. Therefore, developing your team into high-performance salespeople is essential.
Ideally, you want your sales team to possess appropriate industry knowledge, an understanding of the key differentiators related to your product or service, the enthusiasm to engage customers, and the selling skills to consistently close deals. Anything short of that means, your sales system either flails or fails.
If your salespeople are not producing the results you seek in your business, there are ways to foster their development into the sales powerhouses you want them to be. And, as always, it starts with an ideology of continuous improvement.
The following are three ways to provide your sales team with what they need to thrive:
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Implement Long-Term Training and Development Programs:
Investment in sales training and development programs arms your sales team with the latest sales techniques, while providing insight into industry trends.
Sales workshops and development initiatives often have a bottom-up effect throughout your business. When your sales team is geared with the training and tools they need to succeed, the results can be exponential and profound, including increased individual performance, professional growth, and employee satisfaction. Training and development programs provide your sales team with the nuts and bolts for higher sales performance and are usually infused with motivational and inspirational messaging.
Not all training needs to be in-house. Consider online sales programs and outside workshops to supplement your internal classes or seminars.
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Identify KPIs and Set SMART Goals:
To run and grow a successful sales organization, it is essential to set clear goals and make them SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Then, share these goals with your sales team. You also want to identify and track your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will act as telltales for your progress toward those goals. Remember, well-defined goals supported by quantifiable metrics help foster engagement and accountability throughout your sales team.
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Create a Positive Sales Culture:
We all know how cutthroat sales can be. Even the most successful sales organizations grapple with balancing individual ambition with fairness and a healthy sales environment. To create and foster a positive sales culture in your business, make it a priority to encourage and reward collaboration, mutual support, and the exchange of knowledge. Of course, you should incentivize success and reward achievements, but it is also important to celebrate achievements beyond monetary compensation. Also, be sure to recognize the true effort that might not end in a closed deal and acknowledge your sales team’s contribution to the overall success of your business. By creating a sales ecosystem based on respect and responsibility, your organization will reap the rewards of a thriving sales culture.
