All sales managers want a team of reps who make the whole process of selling much easier. They want reps who can generate a lot of quality leads. They want closers, reps who can handle any kind of objection from prospects and still convert them into actual customers. They look for reps who can manage their clients well, keep them happy, and ensure that they stay loyal to the brand—and even become earnest patrons and advocates. They want reps who can work independently and efficiently, those who don’t require hand-holding, are great team players, and have strong leadership potential.
Sounds like a dream, right?
A sales manager would be lucky to have a team composed of such individuals. But it’s not always possible because it’s difficult to find these sales gems. In fact, 84% of today’s sales leaders don’t think they have the team to succeed. This is why some managers would settle for one or two strong players in a relatively small team.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t try to build your very own team of top performers.
There are pragmatic and feasible steps you can take to build a team of top performers. Here are 4.
1. Hire the Right People
You should know what to look for in a sales rep. Any candidate who goes through your door has innate skills and talent. They have their own personalities. They may not have everything you want in a sales rep, but certain skills can be developed or improved. It’s your job to spot these “potentials” in them. So what should you look for in a sales rep? We’re pretty sure you’ll have some very specific requisites (e.g. good with numbers), but in general, you would want to see these characteristics in your reps:
- Driven and persistent: Sales is a tough job full of objections and rejections. They must have the drive and persistence to push forward and overcome all these obstacles. Nerves of steel wouldn’t hurt for sure.
- Sharp and intelligent: There's textbook-smart which is okay too. But you want a rep who can make intelligent decisions and actions. They must be sharp, quick-thinking, and perceptive. They must be strategic in their actions.
- Strong interpersonal skills: Sales is a lot of interacting, engaging, conversing, networking, and building rapport and relationships. You need strong interpersonal skills for these.
- Action-oriented: You want reps who are proactive and take decisive and tactical actions.
- Has key sales soft skills: In sales, soft skills are very important. But they’re also harder to teach. That said, you must know these soft skills and see the potential to develop these in the candidates you plan to hire. Here are some of these key soft skills you need in sales:
- Active listening
- Constructive communication
- Emotional intelligence
- Empathy
- Confidence and charisma
- Flexibility
- Positivity
2. Recognize each one’s strengths and weaknesses
If you’re lucky enough to find candidates who possess all these characteristics, then the Gods of human resources are clearly smiling down on you. But it’s rare to find all these in one person, especially in sales reps with very minimal experience. One sales rep, for example, may be great at building and doing presentations, but terrible at handling objections.
It’s important to recognize and acknowledge each sales rep’s strengths and weaknesses. Work to improve on the weaknesses (more on this later) and capitalize on their strengths. We always tell clients that a strong team doesn’t mean a team full of MVPs. In a basketball team, for example, not all players have the same strengths. One player is better at three-point shooting; one is great at defense; one is reliable at offense and rebounds; and so on. When you bring these players all together, they work like magic. Separately they may not do much, but together, they win championships. If you want another example, just look at the Avengers!
So you have to know what each rep’s strength is and maximize it. Then put these strengths together to assemble your own team of sales superheroes.
3. Know what your team needs—and fulfill those needs
You have to fully understand what your team needs, what their challenges are, and find ways to fulfill those needs and fix the problems. That’s what sales managers do.
Weaknesses can be overturned, certain skills can be taught, and initial struggles can be overcome. How? Through ongoing coaching. The first step you should take is to develop a culture of learning within your organization. Then you have to have very specific strategies in place for training and coaching. Sales training should be an ongoing process, and it doesn’t have to be a formal procedure all the time. We’re big proponents of using every moment as an opportunity to teach (for the sales manager) and learn (for the sales rep).
Needs may also mean tools. Make sure that your team is equipped with the right tools and technology to perform better. You need to realize the importance of investing in these. Trust us, these highly efficient tools and technology provide great ROI.
4. Prioritize internal promotion
You want a team of highly motivated sales reps? Prioritize internal promotion. Promoting from within your organization gives your reps a reason to perform better. It’s good for their morale. Top performers are known to be highly driven people who have clear goals. And what’s a clearer goal than a job promotion?
Promoting from within is also good for business. It improves employee retention. According to studies, external hires are 61% more likely to be laid off or fired in the first two years, and 21% more likely to leave the job than an internal promotion. And high employee turnovers can be costly. On average, it costs sales organizations $97,960 to replace a sales rep, and it takes between 3.5 and 5.5 months to fill an open position.
With ongoing effective training, it will be easy to find these future leaders within your very own team.
Photos from Pexels. Main image by sk
