7 Management Tips to Help Create Successful Sales Teams

Every enterprise needs to make sales to stay in business, which is why they hire salespeople. Did you know that there are over 1.5 million salespeople in the US, making it one of the most common job titles in the nation?

Still, even in such a large field, finding the right talent and managing your sales team is a daunting task for many sales managers and business owners. Fortunately, with the right tips, it doesn’t have to be. Here are some helpful management tips to foster a successful sales team, regardless of your industry!

It Starts With Recruiting

It’s great to bring in new, eager salespeople who may not have the most experience. You may find some of the best members of your team by taking these small risks. 

One avenue is to recruit experienced sales professions. They know the ins and outs of the sales world. While you might be tempted to recruit in your industry, it is beneficial to look at diverse group experiences sellers. Each can bring a different lens to best position your product or service.

Although expeirenced sales professionals can be valuable, a lack of sales experience isn’t a deal-breaker. Look for indivdiuals in various industries that show excellent communication skills. Not just talking! Listening and written communication is just as – if not more – important than looking for talking. 

Either way, you want to look for the best of the best. Always ask for references and ask previous employers about their experience and how they think they would perform in a sales role. Have a clear idea of who you want to hire before accepting applications.

Just as important, make sure that when seeking new talent, you attract the right applicants. This means posting the job highlights, offering the right incentives, and noting the salary range. This set up your sales team for short-term and long-term success.

Provide Clear Expectations

Make it clear in the hiring process what you expect from candidates. Layout realistic expectations and show how this translates to earning potential. 

Incentivize talent with a fair base compensation and on-target earnings or OTE that shows what an average performing and high-performing salesperson accomplishes. Using words such as “uncapped” turns great candidates off.

Most sales professionals realize that there is a cap on time, prospects, and energy available to meet the goals. Great sellers will not base their career decisions on what the highest possible earnings are. Rahter, they look for the a great team, strong management, and pathway for success.

Offer additional benefits that meet their needs. Some of the most popular benefits for salespeople in the field include paid time off, bonuses, and health benefits.

Offer Continuing Education

The more your sales team learns about business, sales, customer service, and related skills, the better. Therefore, offering educational training to your employees will help improve results.

This is especially important upon hiring. However, you can always offer continuing educational programs, workshops, and more to your team. This extra knowledge will translate directly to your bottom line.

Respect Differences

To clarify, we should respect differences in sales approaches to an extent. However, anything that isn’t hurting your brand or offending potential clients should be considered fair game. The worst thing a sales manager can do is force everyone into a “one-size-fits-all” approach to sales.

Yes, training and guidelines are great. The more familiar your sales team is with your products, your client base, and the pitch, the better.

On the other hand, the last thing you want is for sellers to approach customers with the same script everywhere. It comes off as forced and it doesn’t work. Each team member needs the freedom to adapt a pitch to their personality and style.

As a result, you should celebrate the diversity of ideas in your team. The more they learn from each other and adapt their strategies for results, the better!

Set Clear Goals

As a manager, be very direct with your sales team about your objectives. Let them know exactly what the expectations are and what goals you have as a company in the short term and long term.

We recommend sitting down with your management team and discussing clear objectives. The more specific and measurable they are, the better. You can use the SMART goal principles to achieve this.

Keep an Open Line of Communication

If you know one thing about salespeople, it’s that they love to talk! As a manager, it’s essential that you listen to what they have to say. The easier you can make their jobs, the better results you will see.

Remember, finding the right talent is only half of the battle. Keeping them and helping them grow is the other half. Ask your team questions and remain present for them as time passes!

Get All Hands on Deck

Until you get your dream team on your full-time staff, it’s hard to set your business up for the growth that it needs to incentivize the right talent. To boost your sales, you can call in pre-vetted professionals to start selling on your company’s behalf.

If you want to drive the growth your business needs, consider hiring a turnkey sales team. This is a team of dedicated sales professionals with years of sales experience who only need to adapt to your business needs. If you need to drive growth quickly, hire a full sales team today and skip the lengthy recruiting process!

Build a Successful Sales Team Today

Now that you know how to build and maintain a successful sales team, build yours today. Once you have the right talent, management becomes much easier! There’s no substitute for a high-quality sales team on your staff, so don’t wait.

Stay up to date with our latest tips for your business, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or for help with your strategy!