What are the most effective ways for sales managers to help their team members overcome obstacles?

Sales managers should Remain positive in providing proper coaching and continuous feedback to the team members. Set achievable goals and identify how they can help for a better outcome.

In my experience, I have seen many sales teams not knowing the root cause of the problem. Sales teams says they have done everything to get the sale but when you deep dive, you will get to know what went wrong. Calling a customer, sending a followup email is the usual process but if you call the customer once a week and send an email once in 10 days, its wrong. You should call and send email frequently to make an impression. Its simple. How are you better than your competitors when it comes to treating the customer is what makes you close the deal or lose the deal. Ask this question to yourself and see where it takes you!

Der wichtigste Punkt ist das gr??te Problem zu identifizieren und im kollektiv zu l?sen. Teammitglieder sollten keine Hemmungen haben offen und transparent über unangenehme Dinge zu sprechen. Man ist nur so stark, wie das Team auch ist. Wichtig ist auch im guten Dialog zu sein um es gar nicht so weit kommen zu lassen und frühzeitig potenzielle Gefahren zu identifizieren und diese zu beseitigen.

One of the best way to identify the root cause is to discuss with your team what are the challenges that they face. It could be lack of product knowledge, but most of the times is the lack of confidence which results in individual being unable to produce the desired results. Empathizing and talking to your team can help identify if ther is lack of confidence.

By encouraging open communication, setting realistic goals, giving team members training, supporting collaborative problem-solving, acknowledging and rewarding accomplishments, adapting to changing conditions, setting an example, making sure resources are available, keeping an eye on performance metrics, andThe best approach is to always use "we" to emphasize teamwork, rather than "I" as an individual contributor.

-Open Communication: Foster open dialogue for team members to discuss challenges. -Individualized Support: Understand strengths/weaknesses, tailor support accordingly. -Realistic Goals: Set achievable goals, break down targets into milestones. -Continous Training: Provide continuous training and development opportunities. -Encourage Collaboration: Promote a collaborative environment for sharing insights. -Constructive Feedback: Offer specific, actionable feedback for growth. -Problem-Solving: Actively participate in problem-solving discussions. -Remove Barriers: Identify and address organizational obstacles.

Equipping your team with the right resources is essential for overcoming obstacles. This includes access to training programs, relevant technology, and up-to-date market information. By investing in your team's skill development and providing them with the tools needed to excel, you set the stage for overcoming challenges and achieving long-term success. #teamsuccess #tools #resources

Ensure everything is up to date. Seek to invest in technology that streamline processes.Think AI Offer additional coaching or mentorship in a way it will be embrace. Provide EASY and QUICK access to market insights /competitive analysis.

Communication is key! Don't just preach but practice what is preached..ie manager needs to be a doer himself or herself and not just provide verbal contribution. Be a resource yourself (manager).

Once obstacles are identified, It’s always important to provide effective and right resources to team for uplifting their capabilities

-Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate individual/team successes. -Lead by Example: Demonstrate resilience, positive attitude, and strong work ethic. -Emotional Support: Provide empathy and emotional support when needed. -Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of learning and growth. -Adapt Leadership: Be flexible in leadership style based on team needs. -Stay Informed: Stay updated on industry trends and changes.

To add on to this I also encourage collaboration with existing loyal customer. Making team interact with existing customer, taking feedbacks from them and learn more on how client's perspective works. This helps individual or team to build confidence, study previous client cases and deal with different opportunities.

One should be responsible enough for keeping the team spirit up. I feel that team collaboration is important and it results in team motivation and keeping up healthy relationships among themselves.

Foster a culture of collaboration within your sales team. Encourage team members to share insights, best practices, and strategies for overcoming common obstacles. Cross-functional collaboration can provide fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. Facilitate regular team meetings, workshops, or knowledge-sharing sessions to strengthen the bonds within the team. #teamcollaboration #bestpracticesharing #crossfunction

Having sellers share best practices, both in group huddles and as peer coaches is one of the best ways to provide just in time learning that gets results.

Celebrating achievements is crucial for team morale. As a sales manager, acknowledging both big and small successes boosts motivation. Recognizing efforts through praise, incentives, and feedback reinforces a positive work culture. Sharing success stories inspires the entire team and encourages them to overcome obstacles with a motivated mindset.

Celebrating achievements is like fuel for the team's spirit. From small wins to big victories, every success deserves a round of applause. Acknowledging hard work, sharing success stories, and throwing in some incentives which adds value to the team

Recognition is a powerful motivator. Celebrate both individual and team achievements, no matter how small. Acknowledging success boosts morale and reinforces positive behavior. This not only creates a positive work environment but also instills confidence in team members, making them more resilient in the face of challenges. #successcelebration #recognition

Celebrar los logros era esencial. Reconocer los hitos, por peque?os que fueran, con elogios, reconocimientos y, en ocasiones, incentivos. Compartir estas historias inspiró a todo el equipo a esforzarse más. Al reconocer los esfuerzos individuales y elogiar los logros, pude mantener la motivación del equipo alta. Esto generó un ambiente positivo y una cultura de aprecio mutuo, lo que no solo ayudó a superar obstáculos sino que también impulsó la cohesión del equipo y el rendimiento en ventas.

Recognizing and acknowledging their successes not only boosts morale but also instills a sense of accomplishment and pride. This positive reinforcement serves as a powerful catalyst, inspiring salespeople to go the extra mile and surpass previous performance levels. Celebrating achievements provides salespersons with a tangible reminder of their capabilities and the impact of their hard work. It fosters a culture of success and encourages a mindset of continuous improvement. When individuals feel valued and appreciated for their contributions, they are more likely to invest additional effort and creativity in their work.

Sales can be brutally challenging, and no resilience = no success. Managers should: Give emotional support during tough periods. Encourage positive mindsets and stress coping mechanisms. It has to be a culture where setbacks are accepted as opportunities for learning and growth and a way to minimize future set backs. Always promote authentic stories of team members overcoming obstacles. Good for the soul of the sales team. Shows them there is light at end of tunnel

A team member should talk with the team about the growth. He/she needs to implant a growth mindset in the team. In case of failure, take the positive and share with team members, how to avoid the tackle the obstacle and cope with the rejection. Always give a higher sense of purpose and tell them how a true leader faces challenges and keeps on learning. Ask the team members to keep learning something new every day and also be on top of new technological developments in their field.

Sales is inherently filled with ups and downs. Encourage resilience among your team members by promoting a growth mindset. Emphasize the importance of learning from setbacks and using challenges as opportunities for growth. A resilient mindset enables sales professionals to bounce back stronger and more determined after facing obstacles. #resilience #bounceback

Resilience is the key once you ensure the process you follow is right. When what you are doing is the byproduct of your own conclusion, back it up by ratio’s in terms of reach outs matching your ICP.

I liken this back to the famous TED talk on GRIT. And in sales, obstacles are part of just about every single deal. The more we can see them as opportunities, the better.

It is crucial that the team members must be given some level of responsibility and accountability, but allowance to act in their own style. People tend to get demotivated if they are not given a free hand every time and they are not able to use their brain much to think out of the box. Let there be room for creativity in order to achieve results in new ways and retain the team as well.

In order to best enable your team, you must allow them to work through issues themselves and help them reach some sort of resolve. Critical thinking/decision making is a valuable skill in any profession and the only way “flex” that muscle is by practicing it in real time. It will not always go according to plan, but helping them navigate the nuances is what will serve them well in the long run. And it will enable your team to better respond to issues in the future.

Coaching, coaching, coaching! Managers need to invest time in learning how to really be great at coaching. Many think it is only about “saving the day”, which it is not. Help them grow from their failures!

There is a great book on this subject by David Marquet - Turn The Ship Around. It is all about leadership based on giving your team confidence, capability and clarity in their roles so that they can take control

Very important to empower your team to take decisions and work towards achieving them. Also equally important for a manager is then to stand by it and to ensure that necessary support is provided. Create a collaborative atmosphere.

Over the years I have learned a lot. But the most important thing in sales is, and will be, one face to the customer. In this day and age where AI is creeping and crawling into every space of business, decision are made by humans. And the ability of the sales team member to create that bond will always reign supreme. Much of our peripherie will be taken over by AI tools, but if you are able to connect to your customer as only humans can, you will stand out in this machine driven world.