Remote work and the hybrid office are here to stay. But what about the staying power of your workforce? And more specifically, your sales leaders?
With turnover at an all-time high and the great resignation making headlines, pressure is on business leaders to keep their teams engaged, motivated, and performing. So how do you make that happen? In a word: FOCUS.
Frank Colletti
Today’s work-from-anywhere world is full of distractions, and the one thing your team—and your sales team in particular—cannot be without is a common focus. It’s critical that your sales leaders, and their teams, know your value and the why behind what you do.
Remember, the purpose of B2B selling isn’t simply to close a deal. It’s to help improve another’s business.
Ways to Keep Your Sales Teams Motivated
Good salespeople are relationship led and goal minded. They want to do right by the company and the customer. That said, it’s important for business leaders to set clear expectations and hold their team accountable. By letting your team know the ask, the goal, and how it ties to the bigger picture for the company, you’re giving them even more reason to meet and exceed expectations.
Of course, once the goals are met, it’s important to celebrate. Be quick to spotlight those in supporting roles too. Recognition and acknowledgment are key to a strong workforce culture.
A couple other tactics to consider:
- Allow your sales leaders to determine how best to reach their goals. Don’t do away with best practices or processes, but don’t micromanage either. Encourage adoption of both, but also give your team the freedom to choose how best to get to YES. That simple effort helps establish trust and often leads to new and better processes and practices.
- Share lessons learned and report results in real time. Salespeople want to see how they shape business outcomes for the company and the customers. Foster an environment that encourages team members to share wins and lessons learned. Simultaneously, make certain the team knows how the company is doing, so they feel included and recognized as key contributors. Another idea is to extend leadership meeting invites throughout the year to individual contributors so they can share their methods and accomplishments.
Although the dynamics of our day-to-day have changed and continue to evolve, sales success is still grounded in our people and their ability to do what they do best: work from anywhere. Encourage and empower your people with a clear vision and the right resources, training, technology, and support, and the sales journey will remain successful.
Frank Colletti is executive vice president of worldwide sales at N-able.
Image: iStock
