{"id":237345,"date":"2021-04-28T10:00:20","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T07:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/"},"modified":"2021-04-28T10:00:20","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T07:00:20","slug":"8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/","title":{"rendered":"#8 strategic tips on how to sustain a high-performing sales team"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ba2a69f96b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3ba2a69f96b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#You_win_the_battle_on_the_battlefield\" >You win the battle on the battlefield<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#_isnt_as_important_as_you_think\" >$$$ isn\u2019t as important as you think\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#A_plan_is_a_basis_for_change\" >A plan is a basis for change<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#Clear_transparent_weekly_tracking\" >Clear, transparent, weekly tracking\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#Just_enough_running_space\" >Just enough running space\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#You_are_not_alone\" >You are not alone!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#Share_the_big_picture_to_help_keep_focus\" >Share the big picture, to help keep focus\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/8-strategic-tips-on-how-to-sustain-a-high-performing-sales-team\/#ABH_Always_Be_Hiring\" >ABH (Always Be Hiring!)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#8 strategic tips on how to sustain a high-performing sales team<\/strong>&#8221;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2021%2F04%2Fteam-sales-startup-gq.png&amp;signature=40f3068c66a0e362adcfad4ae26b1220\" \/><\/p>\n<div><span>In sales, you are only as good as your last deal. Every day, week, month, or quarter is a fresh start where, once again, your team needs to gear up and deliver. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Great sales leaders are able to push or pull a team whether they are at 120% or at 50% of their goal, and they are able to recruit and maintain high-performing sales teams over a long period of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There is no silver bullet for sustaining a high performing sales team, but here are a few things that I think are important:<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_win_the_battle_on_the_battlefield\"><\/span><b>You win the battle on the battlefield<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Any great sales leader has had to be a top self-contributor in the past, which means that she or he has what it takes, and, deep inside, loves the kill. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Alas, when climbing up the sales management ladder, many sales managers find themselves spending more and more time sitting behind a desk managing through spreadsheets and analytics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>[Read:<span dir=\"auto\">3 new technologies ecommerce brands can use to connect better with customers<\/span>]<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span>While a solid sales plan is a necessity, sales leaders are measured on their team\u2019s performance. Great sales leaders lead by example, pitching in the most difficult meetings and taking the hits with the team. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s critical (though hard) to find a strong sales operations manager, but when you have one, look for parts of planning you can outsource. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you have team leads, make sure they, just like every other salesperson, have personal sales goals. By doing that, you are keeping them sharp on the pitch and setting them up for success. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As a sales leader, do what you need to do to make sure you find yourself in the front lines \u2014 you win the war on the battlefield with your team \u2014 not behind a desk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_isnt_as_important_as_you_think\"><\/span><b>$$$ isn\u2019t as important as you think\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Contrary to what most people think, a great salesperson\u2019s top motivation isn\u2019t money, but a much more basic thing: it\u2019s the need to win. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While most will not openly admit it, the best salespeople also love a tough fight, whether it\u2019s a challenging client to close, they are displacing a competitor or because the velocity of deals needed for hitting the goal is high.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span> Ideally, though, it is all of the above. They thrive on winning, and when they do, they want to get fairly compensated. If you are a smart sales leader, you build a plan that is easy to understand and monitor \u2014 and you <em>never<\/em> cap the upside. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A strong unc<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ed seller can produce like two salespeople, at the cost of one and a half (you pay base salary only once no matter how good they are).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Spend time on building a simple compensation plan that is aligned with your goals, and give your team the tools and freedom needed to win; monitor performance and always be present if they need you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Remember: the wolf climbing the hill is always hungrier than the wolf on top of the hill so if you set challenging goals and have the right type of salespeople, you will enjoy seeing them fight hard and yes, get compensated, when they win.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_plan_is_a_basis_for_change\"><\/span><b>A plan is a basis for change<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Demand that your salespeople ALWAYS have a plan for the next few weeks. Yes, I know your salesforce is experienced, and know what they\u2019re doing, and you don\u2019t think they\u2019ll appreciate this \u201cmicromanagement tactic.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I am also experienced, and yet, if I build a plan, I am focused on executing or updating it instead of winging it in real-time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>How many times has one of your salespeople gotten a \u201chot lead\u201d that caused them to drop everything to pursue it, only to end up losing that deal and screwing up their whole plan for the week? <\/span><i><span>A plan is a basis for change<\/span><\/i><span>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If your salespeople are as experienced as you think they are, great \u2014 let them change the plan at any point in time without updating you, but help them by ensuring that they have one.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you can, make sure that the plan is ready on Friday evening. You just saved the seller from spending Monday morning in the office building a plan \u2013 great salespeople will appreciate that they have a plan that allows them to sell 5 days a week instead of losing Monday morning to planning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clear_transparent_weekly_tracking\"><\/span><b>Clear, transparent, weekly tracking\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>If you did a good job setting clear sales goals for your team that do not require a Ph.D. in order to understand, the next step is to create a culture of transparent weekly reporting towards that goal. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Years consist of quarters, and quarters of weeks \u2014 each person on your team should at any point of time understand how they are tracking towards the goals, and understand how that what they are doing today and tomorrow gets them closer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you manage this correctly, the compensation meeting at the end of the quarter is simply used to review the cash that the seller will see in their bank account. That\u2019s important: clear pacing towards a goal is what really helps drive daily and weekly performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I also believe that the sales team\u2019s goals and tracking to goals should be something that everyone on the team, or even in the company, can see. I know some salespeople cringe at the thought of their numbers being put on the board, but my philosophy is that every seller will have a bad month or two, and ultimately, character and salesmanship is measured when you are behind the ball. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you are killing it, great \u2014 your colleagues will see it, and if you are behind \u2014 not fun \u2014 but your colleagues will still see it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If you are the right kind of seller, being at the top or bottom of the list should motivate you to improve or to or keep doing well. It is as simple as that. And if you can\u2019t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Just_enough_running_space\"><\/span><b>Just enough running space\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Every seller will want more \u201crunning space\u201d and it always feels like the low-hanging fruit is on the neighbor\u2019s side of the grass. It\u2019s not and one of the sales team\u2019s worst enemies is the \u201csack of money waiting for them in the vast uncharted territory where no seller has ever ventured to before\u2026\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The problem with new territories and verticals is, well, that they are new\u2026 and all the time the team has spent in the past signing deals, building verticalized case studies and customer referrals doesn\u2019t really help in the new territory or vertical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So make sure that your team has <\/span><i><span>just enough<\/span><\/i><span> runway for growth. Make sure that they\u2019re challenged but not overwhelmed. New things can be hard. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travel<\/a>ing can be a time drain. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Protect your team\u2019s time, and they will thank you for pushing them to take another good look at their possibly less exciting but familiar, territories when they hit their numbers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Your job is to help them focus and to make sure they have enough running space to hit their goals, but within bounds so that they can deliver results.<\/span><span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_are_not_alone\"><\/span><b>You are not alone!<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Sales jobs are harder than they look. Always being measured, always on the road, always waiting for that response from the prospect that never seems to come on time. There is a lot of \u201calone time\u201d: being alone on a plane, eating dinner alone, driving a rented car for hours, in an Uber on the way to the hotel in the middle of nowhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This solitude is even harder for salespeople who are <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> creatures by definition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a> is a great help in this area. Now more than ever, you can feel connected to your colleagues and team even if you are in a different state and time zone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>At Sunbit we have WhatsApp groups so that teams can communicate in real-time. It\u2019s a great way for our salespeople to share what\u2019s going on where they are, celebrate customer wins, and put names to faces as if you were in an office together. These quick messages create both a sense of togetherness and motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Technology, in a split second, reminds your team that they are not alone, in a world where we have never been more physically apart.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Share_the_big_picture_to_help_keep_focus\"><\/span><b>Share the big picture, to help keep focus\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Great sales teams want to do much more than just sell great products \u2013 they want to represent a great company, brand, and vision. They want to understand the business, the economics behind it, the product road map, and what the long-term strategic priorities are. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You have to find a way to provide this information. <\/span><span>If you don\u2019t have full visibility to these things, bring in the executives that do. Magic happens when the team that represents your company multiple times a day is aligned on strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite what some might think, sharing the full strategy with the team actually helps them to stay focused on the day-to-day tasks. The hardest thing for a seller to do is to walk away from what seems like an amazing opportunity, but once the long-term strategy is clear, then the discussion is a very easy one: If the opportunity is aligned with the long-term strategy, it\u2019s a go. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>If it isn\u2019t, what might have once been a long painful discussion with emotions and seller frustrations turns into, \u201cWhile this might seem like an interesting idea, it\u2019s not aligned with where we want to go. Let\u2019s focus on our core strategy so we can win!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Smart salespeople that understand the big picture are better, happier salespeople that sell more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ABH_Always_Be_Hiring\"><\/span><b>ABH (<\/b><span>Always Be Hiring!)<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>If your team is doing great and they are hitting the targets there will be pressure to grab more market share and to grow faster, and you will need to recruit more sales staff. If your team isn\u2019t doing well, then it\u2019s definitely time to hire before you find yourself working on your own CV.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Bottom line, you should always be hiring! I\u2019ve never met a sales leader who thinks that they have too many great salespeople just waiting to join when they\u2019re ready. At any and every interaction you have with a customer, partner, prospect, always be on the lookout for those elusive <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/capturing-purple-unicorns-how-build-amazing-sales-team-tal-riesenfeld\/?trackingId=ObV4vP77T3idEEbGoUW2mA%3D%3D\"><span>purple unicorns!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Behind every strong company, you will find a fierce sales team fighting the daily, weekly, and monthly battles. And if you look very carefully you should find a sales leader that is busy recruiting and maintaining that team. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;appId=378011798897423&amp;version=v2.6\" id=\"socialSrcFacebook\" type=\"text\/template\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/8-tips-how-to-sustain-high-performing-sales-team\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#8 strategic tips on how to sustain a high-performing sales team&#8221; In sales, you are only as good as your last deal. Every day, week, month, or quarter is a fresh start where, once again, your team needs to gear up and deliver. Great sales leaders are able to push or pull a team whether&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/growth-quarters?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/04\/team-sales-startup-gq.png&signature=a8d2b41b5c41e3887966952017545adf","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-237345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}