More than any operational area of a business, the sales team needs to work effectively. If it doesn’t, all other functional areas have less to do and, more importantly, it will likely influence business results. Even if you have an ideal sales team, every team can improve their performance to boost sales. So, being mindful of that, here are five ways to develop a strong and ultimately more effective sales team.
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Be Diligent in the Hiring Process
Take the time to create a position profile for the type of sales talent you want in the business. The profile needs to include the skills, values, and character traits that drive success for the position. Then, screen candidates based on those criteria and interview only the ones who line up with the profile. Taking the appropriate time in the hiring process reduces the risk of a regretful new hire and avoids potential money loss.
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Evaluate Current Team Members
If your new-hire guidelines are high, then it will be critical to evaluate the existing sales team and determine if they’re performing up to expectations. This action is not necessarily a strategy to “clean house,” but rather it’s an opportunity to work at aligning the rest of the team with the business objectives. If any mismatches exist between individual performance and job expectations, corrective action needs to be implemented to improve performance including replacement if necessary.
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Create a Desired Place to Work
For many salespeople, the work environment is just as important as their compensation. In fact, other primary motivators include recognition for job contributions, the level of respect given to people, and being part of the decision-making process. Therefore, strive to establish a positive workplace culture that is built on trust, effective communications, and consistent leadership behaviors.
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Set Clear Expectations
Be sure that there is clarity when communicating the goals to the sales team. For instance, there should be no misunderstanding of what the expectations are in achieving the goals, including how each salesperson will be measured. Be mindful that vague messaging of expectations tends to generate confusion that too often leads to disappointing results. Accordingly, plan to have frequent and accurate communications with the salespeople to ensure on-going agreement.
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Emphasize Building Customer Relationships
A common trait of talented salespeople is that they’re experts at building strong relationships with their customers. Since many customers buy based on trust, it’s critical for the sales force to work at fostering solid relationships. When you establish a healthy customer relationship, you increase trust and loyalty that will likely generate repeat business and increase conversion rates and referrals – all key ingredients for a thriving business.
In short, developing an effective sales team will produce sustainable results that will improve the operational effectiveness of the entire organization.
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