Running a good sales team is about finding the right talent and nurturing it. The hard part of running a good sales team however is retaining that talent.
HR & payroll software company Sage VIP sales director Sandra Swanepoel says business owners needs to be an environment where employees feel positive, motivated, empowered and confident.
Salespeople have an entrepreneurial spirit, but it is also important for them to fit into the company’s culture, she says.
Here are Swanepoel’s four components for running a great sales operation.
RECRUITMENT
It is important to determine the kind of person will fit into your business. With the high cost of training and the risks to your intellectual property, you don’t want to only identify a culture mismatch after you have hired and trained someone, Swanepoel says. You want people who can foster deep, lifelong relationships with customers and who are willing to work as if they are working for themselves.
“It’s important to give lots of recognition to sales staff”
CULTURE
Salespeople want to feel that they have a career. They also want to develop in their positions and grow as people. Swanepoel’s advice is to invest continuously in your employees’ growth and development. Many of them, she says, have their sights set on joining management ranks or other roles in the organisation.
PERFORMANCE
Performance management is important – and goes beyond tracking how salespeople are performing against their sales targets. It’s also important to track the areas where they are performing well and where they could improve. According to Swanepoel, the measurement of performance is possibly the most important element of running a great sales operation.
RECOGNITION
Lastly, it’s important to give lots of recognition to sales staff. Reward stuff for being innovative, providing amazing customer service, or for exceeding targets, says Swanepoel. Hold one-on-ones between salespeople and their managers; direct feedback and positive recognition is invaluable to their career progression.
