What are the most common mistakes sales managers make when motivating their teams?

In my experience the number one mistake is focusing only on results instead of the activities which generated those results. Effectively coaching your team members to improve their sales activities will motivate them and will improve results.

It is of paramount importance to encourage your team to take ownership and equally important to trust them with the ability to take business seriously. There is a great method I once learnt from a leading expert to enhance ownership and accountability without micromanaging. Ask the team member to decide when they can deliver the task. If there are any delays, simply ask what went wrong and how you can support them in damage control. This positive upliftment itself will help them tackle the core issue better and deliver on time. Its a learning curve for everyone, including the managers.

Micromanaging is the worst trust me. Also focusing on the negative when a sale does not close. Rather a possible role play with entire team to try and figure out what occurred during the process that caused the client or prospect to go in another direction. This can help the whole team grow without pointing at one particular person.

There is a razor fine line between receiving well planned, constructive feedback and poorly delivered criticism. Those who micromanage tend to not focus and plan on how and what they are going to say and miss the importance of planning and focusing on how they can be empathetic, good listeners as well. Well planned and delivered feedback often becomes the greatest life-changing advice!

A sales leader that takes credit for the team’s success, and casts blame when there is failure is consistently demotivating their team. A leader is a part of the team, not above it. And while a leader should definitely hold their team accountable, they should do the same for themself. A true leader is introspective, and possesses a deep understanding of themselves, embraces personal growth, learns from experiences, and uses this self-awareness to lead with authenticity and effectiveness.

The easiest way to understand the individual is simply to ask them what is important to them. Often you can get a super quick win by just asking this question.

It's a huge mistake to think that all sales people are motivated by money and therefore carrying a once size fits all approach to individual development. May sales people have an altruistic streak and want to serve others, whist another group may have a problem solving streak that really drives them. Finding out how your sales people sell in terms of approach can give you a clue as to how to get the best from them. Listening to calls and going out on client visits will help to highlight these approaches resulting in the sales manager becoming more considered and balanced in dealing with individual needs.

Yes! Salespeople are like finicky exotic cars...great performers but unique. Treating them all the same doesn't optimize the whole sales team.

This is one of the biggest breakdowns I have seen on motivating teams.....Leaders putting their goals and needs before the team. People will rarely follow a Leader who does not show any interest in the goals and well-being of individual team members.

Similar to a sports team not all your players are the same or are motivated by the same thing- some love competition and are internally driven to be the best, others love collaborating, being part of the team, and don’t mind playing a more supporting role. You motivate those two individuals very differently

Majority of sales managers focusing on assessing and measuring the "WHAT" KPIs , yet assessing the behaviours and measuring the "HOW" is much more valuable via different ways , one of these ways is management by walking around "MBWA"

If my previous bosses had only focussed on the numbers, I wouldn't have had the great career in sales that I do. As a manager, if you know your people are trying hard, doing the right things and striving to improve, let them know you support them, you believe in them and (super importantly) you will protect them. A manager's belief in a salesperson is a huge deal.

Focusing solely on numbers, like sales quotas or profit margins, is a critical mistake. It overlooks the qualitative aspects of business, such as customer satisfaction, employee well-being, and innovation. Relying solely on metrics can lead to unethical practices, burnout, and a lack of creativity. It also undermines teamwork, as individuals may prioritize personal gains over collaboration. A well-rounded approach, considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects, ensures sustainable growth, employee motivation, and a healthy work environment

“Take care of the people & they will take care of the business” Focus on your team development & motivation, if you invested in these 2 factors you will reach a state where your team is willing to go the extra mile just for you and magic will be happening.

This is a colossal mistake! While metrics are important, and do help us measure progress, they are not always an accurate representation of what the team has really done. Sometimes growth isn’t directly proportionate to projections and numbers or growth may not manifest themselves in accordance with the anticipated time frame. Hence, growth should be measured by a multitude of factors, usually ober a longer period of time than traditional models follow. “Plants don’t all grow at the same rate even within the same species.” Long term goals are a much better reflection of quality and true growth!

Don't forget to feedback your team in both ways. Feedback is really a gift if transported in the right way. My experience here is that people do grow if they understand the reason behind. And if you do it on a regular basis, the team members are not surprised. So, don't wait till end of the year when you sit together with them individually.

Here, being organized, consistent, and respectful of your time and the team's is also key. Being able to provide feedback on a weekly basis, which considers knowing how your team is doing not only in work issues, what their recent difficulties were, their recent achievements, what is expected in the week and how achieving it contributes to them and to the company. It will allow you to maintain the visibility of the exercise and provide clarity of the final goal. This being clear that it is always good for your team to be organized, but that it is key that the manager is, above all. And if this is difficult for you, you can always help yourself with technology. Today are multiple apps that allow you to achieve it with very little or no cost.

Inconsistency in leadership breeds confusion and erodes trust among team members. When rules, expectations, or feedback vary unpredictably, employees struggle to understand priorities, leading to frustration and demotivation. Inconsistent decision-making creates an unstable work environment, hindering productivity and cohesiveness. Employees may feel undervalued and lose confidence in the leadership, which impacts their commitment and engagement. Consistency, on the other hand, fosters predictability, confidence, and a positive workplace culture, enabling teams to thrive under stable, clear, and dependable guidance.

En mi experiencia como supervisor de ventas, el medio justificara el fin, el enfoque del equipo de ventas es cumplir su presupuesto, el como? con motivación, con sus experiencias, entrenamiento en calle, repasando los beneficios de nuestros productos, con empatía con el cliente, sin estorbar al prospecto, un feedback continuo de su seguimiento y crecimiento humano como profesional.

In my experience, quick changes between goal setting can cause havoc in a team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to set a clear path and goal for the rest of the team to follow. If you as a leader constantly change the foundations and goals, then your team will be in disarray. Hence, it is important with clarity and constant feedback between you and your team to understand that everyone is aligned on the task at hand and the long-term goal.

All work and no play is not good When a manager cares about his sales people buys them lunch shows appreciation of the sales force That’s a motivator

Neglecting to incorporate fun and camaraderie in the workplace is a detrimental error. It dampens team spirit, creativity, and overall job satisfaction. When employees are stressed and devoid of enjoyment, their productivity and morale decline. A lack of enjoyable moments diminishes teamwork, hindering collaboration and problem-solving. Incorporating fun activities and fostering a positive work environment not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity, creativity, and the overall well-being of employees, leading to a more successful and harmonious workplace.

As much as we love to say we "love sales" many of us in sales find ourselves here through other passions that transition well to sales. You get good at the things that are fun, you will be much better at sales if you can learn to enjoy the process.

Never forget to enjoy your work. You've earned the right to enjoy the trip on the way to your destination. So be it. Recall the successes and share with those you mentor.

It very important that Sales Heads don't make targets look ridiculously simple. Let's accept that doing Sales is a tough job and it requires exemplary discipline, skills and consistency to hit targets. Most importantly, it is repetitive in nature and the likelihood of sales guys getting fatigued is very high. Sales Heads need to lead by example. They should learn and teach the art of embracing targets and enjoying hitting the Bulls eye frequently. Pressure tactics have never yielded great results, it just gratifies the ego and achieves nothing. Lighten up the environment, don't ridicule non performers, instead put a hand around their shoulders and work with them to achieve targets.

One day i ve facilitated management session and the participants were from sales managers i asked about how many times you give a positive reinforcement feedback or constructive feedback .. the answers were shocking as they mentioned it is twice per year or on achieving great results only . while it has to be repeated on weekly basis or more :)

Failing to ask for feedback is a missed opportunity for growth. Without regular input from employees, leaders remain unaware of challenges, hindering improvement. It also diminishes employee engagement, as team members feel their opinions aren't valued. Asking for feedback promotes open communication, identifies problem areas, and strengthens team dynamics. Leaders should actively seek input to create a supportive, responsive, and thriving work environment.

Feedback allows you to test the quality and impact of your own message. And most importantly: individual feed-backs during team meetings allows you to quantify the quality of your message. In meetings and trainings, I always do a "check out". I individually ask "what is the most important message you guys take out today". It sometimes happened that only a few got it. Tip: if a minority of the group didn't get it, it's their fault. If a majority of the group didn't get it, it's YOUR fault. By the way, I always do a "check in" as well: how do you feel right now. It allows to test the atmosphere, resonate with the group first, and then steer the group's energy.

In team motivation, managers often forget to sell their companies brand to the teams they work with. Once a team can buy into their own brand and like it, they can sell it to others with ease and success.

Feedback and criticism can be difficult to receive, but receiving that information is the best path to improving your performance as a manager. Make sure your team feels comfortable with open and honest communication.

The biggest mistake sales managers make when motivating teams is assuming how they like to be motivated, supported, managed, coached & held accountable = COACHING IN YOUR OWN IMAGE. All salespeople aren't coin operated. If you've never had a 1-1 conversation w/ each salesperson to learn what motivates them-you have NO CLUE. Instead-you're ASSUMING it based on your priorities, values & what motivates YOU! These questions uncover individuality & avoid motivating in your own image. 1-What's most important to you? 2-What motivates you to come to work? 3-What impact do you want to make? 4-What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be known? 5-What would you like to do more of/less of? 6-If you didn't have to work what would you do?

The other mistake Sales Managers make is to try and use threats as a way of motivating their sales teams, "if you don't meet target again we will gave no choice but to let you go." In this case the one thing that Sales Manager have to understand when they have an under performing sales person is to try to first understand why their sales person is not performing, is it because of a personal problem, is it that the company is not providing them with an enabling environment and all the tools of trade. With my experience these have been some of the areas that have to be looked at when motivating a sales team.

If you truly value your team and you ask for ideas and feedback, the absolute worst thing you can do is not reward/recognize them for the insight. How often have you seen the manager “consider” an idea only to bury it and then take credit for it down the road. Successful leaders know when and how to be inclusive regardless of someone’s position on the team.

The most common mistake I have found is simply this: having absolutely no strategy or one that is tied to the _actual_ business strategy AND backed up by a rationable line of resources.

Good point Keith (I should add "as always" ??. One of the most common feedback from Sales Manager is they do not have enough time to coach their reps. Which is, in most cases, true. Thinking about teams of 10/15 reps, does a Sales Manager have spare 30hrs per month to coach them? May be not. So the challenge is to include coaching in the business as usual, into the standard deal-related conversation - forecast, deal review etc. And yes, understand what each rep prefers/want is part of the coaching, or it is not coaching and became telling people what to do.