Português
Português
The role of a manager is never easy, but it is particularly challenging in sales. Salespeople are independent, self-motivated, self-assured, and dynamic by nature. If you’re a sales team manager, I don’t need to remind you how difficult it is to influence the working methods of people with these personality traits.
So today I’d like to explore some strategies and principles that help you manage and improve your sales team’s performance. I’m not going to convince him to be the alpha wolf of the pack, which everyone fearfully respects. This creates a toxic environment that causes too much wear and tear. I’m going to talk about creating a motivating work environment that invites collaboration.
Be Present
Salespeople don’t have it easy. They spend the day hearing “no” and are always under pressure. Even after reaching the goal, they start from scratch each new month, like Sisyphus pushing the boulder to the top of the mountain.
Even the best salespeople struggle under all this pressure and can become demotivated, especially if they feel unsupported on a day-to-day basis. That’s why it’s often said that 99% of a sales manager’s job is to be present.
Being present allows you to provide moral support. But not only. With their attention and availability, it is possible to identify individual difficulties, be more successful in transmitting best practices, be a mentor, and even keep abreast of the market.
Therefore, organize your time to dedicate yourself to supporting your team and avoid being away for long periods!
Establish bonds of trust
Before asking your team for words and funds, establish an interpersonal relationship. Try to get to know people, the way they work, their motivations, and their ambitions so that you can adjust your communication and keep them motivated.
Be transparent about your plans and objectives
Many companies do not consider it relevant to share the organization’s plans and general objectives with their employees. As a result, individuals do not fully understand their role and may think they are just a pawn in the game.
That’s why it’s good practice for a sales manager to share his plans, goals, and tactics with the department. In this way, it gives the team direction, which helps them to understand the reason for the recommendations, practices, or changes that it tries to pass. The conversation is also an opportunity to hear your team’s views and involve them in the process.
Focus on behaviors and not just results
We’ve already seen the importance of being present to motivate the team. But there is another, even more, beneficial effect: the ability to correct your team’s counterproductive behaviors and habits right away.
If you wait for the end of the month to observe the “inputs” of the salespeople, you will only register that a goal of the month has not been reached, for example. But this does not allow him to understand the reason for this result, and without it, he cannot be a good manager. Therefore, use your time with the team to review your actions in time, when it is still possible to step in and change course.
Focusing on behaviors rather than just results gives you yet another valuable insight. If a salesperson exhibits the right behaviors, even if he doesn’t always hit targets, he’s a team member with potential. On the contrary, a salesperson who hits his goals but has undesirable behavior can destabilize the entire team – nullifying the benefits of his goals.
Give your team regular feedback
I want to reinforce the importance of feedback. After gaining their trust, being present, saying what you expect from them, and observing their behavior, it’s the right time to help your employees improve in the context of sales.
However, feedback is only effective if there is positive reinforcement. Think about helping to correct, them so that there is a positive development, not about tearing them down. As they say, flies are caught with honey, not vinegar!
Then, don’t forget that only regular feedback can produce significant and permanent changes in the team’s habits and behavior.
Give incentives
Although all these actions are motivating and promote well-being and personal development, there is an asset that sales managers can use to encourage results in particular. I’m talking about incentives, monetary, and not only.
Incentives can 1) promote concrete results and 2) promote desirable behaviors.
Encouraging desirable behaviors is useful when introducing a new step in the sales process, for example. Even so, they are just as fundamental as incentives for results, such as:
- Incentives for those who generate more revenue;
- Who closes more deals;
- Whoever reaches the goal first;
- Whoever reaches a minimum income.
Do not make the mistake of establishing unattainable numbers, which endanger you. Be based on achievable objectives that meet the needs of the company.
Incentives can be concrete or intangible:
Concrete: prizes, trips, dinners, parties.
Intangibles: public recognition, medals, plaques, trophies.
Now, go back to your company and apply these ideas! Then tell me how it went.