To compete in business today, companies need a strong sales team that’s constantly evolving and advancing. As a C-Suite executive, focus on cultivating and improving your employees’ strategies and performance.
Whether you’ve managed sales before or are leading this department for the first time, most executives can benefit from a refresher on how to get the most out of their team. By offering a solid program that supports growth and development, you'll provide them with crucial tools for success.
Here are five areas to focus on with your sales team.
1. Have a clear vision/strategy- What future goals are you working toward? The path you set to get there will depend on several factors, including the size of your sales team and prior performance metrics. Be clear and consistent with messaging. If your sales team doesn’t understand their role in the vision, it can lead to confusion and inefficiency.
Just remember a strong leader cannot be all things to everyone at all times. Examine your priorities and make sure your team is truly working toward them.
2. Create personal development plans- When employees are intrinsically motivated, it benefits the company as a whole, not to mention saves valuable leadership time and effort. People who feel their superiors have a vested interest in their well-being and success are more committed to their productivity.
Align your sales team with the tools needed to advance by honing in on one or two specific skills of focus monthly. Outline how they should document their mastery of those skills so you both can observe improvement over time.
3. Invest in training- Sales requires a varied skillset, and it’s worth reinforcing those that enhance performance. Many companies play it safe with training and try to find seminars that appeal to the masses, but smaller, targeted workshops offer a greater return on investment. Ask employees for their feedback too. What topics would be helpful to cover? What format do they find most beneficial? Then look for programs and speakers that meet their needs.
4. Strengthen your onboarding process- The sooner you get new hires up to speed and acclimated to workplace standards, the less time spent on them trying to navigate things independently. Newly appointed staff should know who to go to and for what, so they can focus their efforts on selling. Ensure your organization has a solid mentorship program in place to ease the transition.
5. Delegate tasks- Many salespeople cite too many administrative tasks as an area of job frustration. Are these just “part of the job”? It depends on who you ask. But when your team is consumed with these responsibilities, it leaves less time for closing deals. If there are things that can be delegated to another department, consider doing so to free up available time.
A sales team is a driving force for any organization, and C-Suite executives who manage them successfully outperform other leaders in similar roles. Prioritize training, goal-setting, and communication to strengthen your team, and remember to continually re-evaluate. The better you prepare, the better they’ll deliver.
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