You don’t need to turn into everyone’s least favorite boss to crank up the productivity of your salesforce. Even if you’ve already got an excellent sales team, you can do a few things to make them more productive.
- Talk to your Sales Force
Before you start making any changes, ask your team about it. Find out what works best for them. Ask them to be honest about what slows them down or complicates their work flow. Consider surveying your team at regular intervals. This lets you continually evaluate and adjust as necessary.
To keep the lines of communication open, adopt an open-door policy. Be sure to clearly define the policy to your team. Be specific about exactly what kinds of concerns they can come to you with. Also be clear that communication with you under this policy won’t negatively impact their jobs. An open-door policy can be a waste of time if you don’t stick to defined limitations. So give this one careful consideration. If you do choose to do so, be smart about how open your door really is.
- Hone Your Craft
It’s not just your sales force who must stay up-to-date. You also need to be on top of the best sales practices. Read industry blogs. Check out the best sales books. Take advantage of the wealth of information available from industry leaders. Don’t forget to keep managerial training in mind, as well. Your responsibility to your team is so much more than shoving new sales techniques at them. If your knowledge gets stale, your team’s will too.
- Avoid Project Snags
Keep track of every step in ongoing projects. Know who is responsible for each task. Watch deadlines to be sure things are completed on time. Using CRM with project management lets you automatically receive emails when a task is due. You can assign responsible parties to minimize overlap and encourage direct communications between teams. You can even track all email correspondence.
- Set Specific Goals
Your salesforce needs more than just a number to hit. Be specific and break down goals into pieces. It’s one of the best ways to meet individual goals and it will work for your team as well. Utilize tasks and deadlines in CRM to make the small goals crystal clear. Assign responsible parties to ensure that tasks are completed by the right person. Follow through on enforcing deadlines. Make sure your sales goals are realistic. Unreasonable expectations will eventually burn out your team.
- Measure Productivity
If you want your team to do more, you have to know how much they’re already doing. Collecting data on your employees doesn’t have to be creepy. In fact, it proves incredibly useful if you collect the right data. Looking to shave off wasted time, say in the restroom, is creepy. However, comparing the top reason for lost opportunities by individual is helpful. You can encourage a little friendly competition and add a layer of honesty to your data collection by making the results fair game for all your team to view.
- Nix Weekly Meetings
Do you really need your whole team to meet every week or teleconference every morning? Take a hard look at how many times you’re calling your people away from their work. You could be affecting their productivity as much as any other distraction. Really need that face time? Consider shorter, more specific meetings. Meet with individuals or small teams regarding very specific issues and goals. Go in with clear objectives, stay on topic, and avoid distractions.
- Reward Success, Critique Wisely
Being recognized for achievements is a powerful motivator. Likewise, helpful criticism can empower your team to work smarter. When celebrating a member of your team, make it personal and heartfelt. Be specific about what they’ve done well. Don’t draw comparisons. Whether you show your gratitude in a meeting or send a handwritten note, make it meaningful. When it comes to criticism, be kind and encouraging. Don’t criticize when you’re in a bad mood. Set aside time for critique and deliver it privately.
Managing your salesforce is hardly just about nagging and enforcing deadlines. It’s your mission to keep them engaged, excited, and wanting to work hard. Treat your team with respect, keep your approach to sales fresh, measure everything, and reward hard work and your sales force will deliver.
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a huge variety of verticals. Learn about all of Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
