The Three Foundational Processes Every Sales Leader Needs to Succeed

Being a great sales leader involves more than just the ability to sell. You must also have a robust managing process and enjoy coaching others–something our latest guest excels at.

Is sales leadership right for you?

Most early career salespeople dream of stepping into a leadership role, but there may not be better paths for some.

The first step to choosing a path for advancement is understanding what excites you and motivates you throughout the day. If you enjoy coaching other reps and picking apart the sales process more than closing deals, that’s a sign that leadership may be a good fit.

Start by taking on more of a leadership role within your team; for example, helping to train new hires or diagnose gaps in the sales process. You don’t necessarily need to be a manager to have an impact on the rest of the team.

Study the different data points within your funnel, look for ways to improve, and try to give back to the rest of your team and organization.

The three processes every sales leader needs to succeed

Sales leaders are responsible for creating strategies on every level, but there are three foundational pieces: your rep operating, team, and business processes.

• Rep operating process: What do coaching meetings look like on a one-to-one level?
• Team process: Are you driving team engagement and connecting reps to the right resources? Are you helping the team build internal relationships throughout the company? How will you collect feedback from your team?
• Business process: How will you work cross-functionally to solve problems and forecast revenue?

As a sales leader, you set the tone for the rest of the team. Choose a few non-negotiables (i.e., operating with integrity, keeping Salesforce up to date) and demonstrate those behaviors to your reps from day one.

How to create a great sales team culture

Culture isn’t something you impose on your team as a leader. Instead of hiring reps to fit a specific culture, let your team drive the culture. If they have a hand in creating the culture, they will likely stay accountable long-term.

Look for salespeople who share common values and objectives but also bring diverse ideas to the table. Ideally, these will be high-achievers with a growth mindset who want to learn more.

Lastly, remember that not every rep will be the right fit for your leadership style, and you need to be able to identify those people objectively during the hiring process.

As a sales leader, your most significant success is your team’s success. Focus on your strengths, build trust with your team, and co-creating a positive culture. From there, you can expand your processes to drive revenue faster and more effectively.