How to Build a High-Performing Sales Team

When you ask sales managers, many claim that one of their main challenges is motivating their sales team. Discovering what drives each salesperson is essential to help them meet their goals. However, motivating can be tricky, as each salesperson has their own priorities. Despite this, there are several strategies that a manager can implement to create a motivating environment that fosters a highly effective sales team.

The first step is understanding that motivation comes from within. When we think of motivation, we often imagine incentives, sales contests, and recognition programs. These tools are effective because they provide tangible rewards that drive teams to focus on sales. However, true commitment and passion are achieved when a daily environment is established that allows each salesperson to identify and connect with their personal motivation.

Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, right? The lower levels of this pyramid represent physiological and safety needs, which are fundamental to everyone, including salespeople who are starting out and seeking self-actualization. They first need to make sure they have income to meet basic needs like food, housing, and security. Only after these needs have been met can they focus on higher levels of love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. This concept remains fundamental and is crucial for building a high-performing sales team.

When you ask sales managers, many claim that one of their main challenges is motivating their sales team. Discovering what drives each salesperson is essential to help them meet their goals. However, motivating can be tricky, as each salesperson has their own priorities. Despite this, there are several strategies that a manager can implement to create a motivating environment that fosters a highly effective sales team.

The first step is understanding that motivation comes from within. When we think of motivation, we often imagine incentives, sales contests, and recognition programs. These tools are effective because they provide tangible rewards that drive teams to focus on sales. However, true commitment and passion are achieved when a daily environment is established that allows each salesperson to identify and connect with their personal motivation.

Remember Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, right? The lower levels of this pyramid represent physiological and safety needs, which are fundamental to everyone, including salespeople who are starting out and seeking self-actualization. They first need to make sure they have income to meet basic needs like food, housing, and security. Only after these needs have been met can they focus on higher levels of love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. This concept remains fundamental and is crucial for building a high-performing sales team.

In other words, salespeople don't care about the company's financial performance unless they themselves have a stake in it. What really matters to them are their own needs, such as food, housing, clothing, recognition, funding for college education or family celebrations, as well as saving for retirement. These are personal aspirations that encompass most of what truly matters. Therefore, the solution lies in creating an environment that fosters this internal motivation, allowing each salesperson to feel driven to achieve their goals. (See the book "Building a Winning Team: Training and Development Strategies in Sales" )

Fostering a Culture of Goal Setting and Recognition

It’s fundamental that you help your salespeople discern what truly matters to them. Dedicate time outside of the office for planning, and focus on developing the dreams and goals of each team member. This time is an investment in your business, as it’s about working on it, rather than simply working in it. Set aside a day or two to assist your team and yourself in taking a big leap forward in planning for the future, allowing them to achieve peak performance.

Establish a process that allows each individual to define their own goals, as this is where motivation, passion, and desire come from. These personal goals are the foundation for crafting any effective business plan. Unfortunately, few organizations dedicate time to understanding the individual aspirations of their staff, but these are essential for salespeople to achieve their objectives.

Visualize this process as if you were the coach and your salespeople, the players on a competitive team. Each one has a vital role to play for the team as a whole to succeed. Salespeople, by their competitive nature, typically identify with this concept. If any don't grasp it, they may not be suited for the sales role. Sales requires desire, commitment, and a strong drive to succeed.

Cultivate an environment where individuals can unplug and reflect on their goals and dreams, setting deadlines and assigning monetary values to these objectives. By assigning them a financial value, you can determine the level of activity required in prospecting and sales for each salesperson. Additionally, this will give you a clearer picture of what realistic standards are.

Celebrate achievements, both yours and your team's. When your staff analyze and define their goals, and when you, as a sales manager, identify yours, it's crucial that you consider how you will reward yourself upon reaching those goals.

A good sales manager also needs to have a system in place to help a salesperson get back on track and address issues that have led to failure. For example, if Diana did not meet her prospecting goal for the month, you should initiate a conversation with her. Ask her: “How important is it for you to succeed?”, “What do you need to do to overcome this obstacle?”, “What kind of processes or programs could you implement to get back on track to success?”

If Diana shows interest and is willing to put in the effort, you could say: “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Every Thursday at 10 am for the next four weeks, I will come to your office to listen to your prospecting calls.” From there, you must follow through with this weekly routine. This kind of discipline and structure is what will help Jane return to the path of success. Furthermore, this hands-on approach is essential for developing a high-performing sales team. (See the book "The Art of Motivating Your Salespeople" )

In other words, salespeople don't care about the company's financial performance unless they themselves have a stake in it. What really matters to them are their own needs, such as food, housing, clothing, recognition, funding for college education or family celebrations, as well as saving for retirement. These are personal aspirations that encompass most of what truly matters. Therefore, the solution lies in creating an environment that fosters this internal motivation, allowing each salesperson to feel driven to achieve their goals. (See the book "Building a Winning Team: Training and Development Strategies in Sales" )

Fostering a Culture of Goal Setting and Recognition

It’s fundamental that you help your salespeople discern what truly matters to them. Dedicate time outside of the office for planning, and focus on developing the dreams and goals of each team member. This time is an investment in your business, as it’s about working on it, rather than simply working in it. Set aside a day or two to assist your team and yourself in taking a big leap forward in planning for the future, allowing them to achieve peak performance.

Establish a process that allows each individual to define their own goals, as this is where motivation, passion, and desire come from. These personal goals are the foundation for crafting any effective business plan. Unfortunately, few organizations dedicate time to understanding the individual aspirations of their staff, but these are essential for salespeople to achieve their objectives.

Visualize this process as if you were the coach and your salespeople, the players on a competitive team. Each one has a vital role to play for the team as a whole to succeed. Salespeople, by their competitive nature, typically identify with this concept. If any don't grasp it, they may not be suited for the sales role. Sales requires desire, commitment, and a strong drive to succeed.

Cultivate an environment where individuals can unplug and reflect on their goals and dreams, setting deadlines and assigning monetary values to these objectives. By assigning them a financial value, you can determine the level of activity required in prospecting and sales for each salesperson. Additionally, this will give you a clearer picture of what realistic standards are.

Celebrate achievements, both yours and your team's. When your staff analyze and define their goals, and when you, as a sales manager, identify yours, it's crucial that you consider how you will reward yourself upon reaching those goals.

A good sales manager also needs to have a system in place to help a salesperson get back on track and address issues that have led to failure. For example, if Diana did not meet her prospecting goal for the month, you should initiate a conversation with her. Ask her: “How important is it for you to succeed?”, “What do you need to do to overcome this obstacle?”, “What kind of processes or programs could you implement to get back on track to success?”

If Diana shows interest and is willing to put in the effort, you could say: “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Every Thursday at 10 am for the next four weeks, I will come to your office to listen to your prospecting calls.” From there, you must follow through with this weekly routine. This kind of discipline and structure is what will help Jane return to the path of success. Furthermore, this hands-on approach is essential for developing a high-performing sales team. (See the book "The Art of Motivating Your Salespeople" )

Dionisio Melo