7 Management Tips to Help Create Successful Sales Teams

Written by Ian Massenburg

Ian is the Chief Operating Officer at The Selling Factory. Possessing over 20 years of sales executive and sales management experience, he has built and overseen large B2B sales teams in the energy and SaaS markets. Ian enjoys surfing, golfing, and spending time with his family.

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!

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com