How happy are you with your efforts to motivate your sales team? Are they performing to a level that you’re proud of? Or are they less than where you want them to be despite working your butt off to up their performance?
The highs and lows of Sales Leadership
There’s no better feeling when your team is performing well…and no bigger frustration when they are not.
You could blame them for not doing what they should be to increase their sales. Or you could take that brave look in the mirror and ask yourself…What’s my contribution to this situation?
How well do you know each person in your team?
Whilst it’s important to discuss KPI’s, pipelines and customers…how often do you have deep conversations with each of your team about them?
Do you know the answers to these questions?
- What inspires them?
- What do they do in their spare time?
- What successes have given them the most joy and why?
- What are their inner thoughts after big challenges?
- How do they rate themselves?
- Are they motivated towards what they want or away from what they don’t want?
- Where do they want to be in 12 months?
- What are their career and personal aspirations?
- How old are their children and what are their names?
- What is their partner’s name?
- Do they have pets…what are they and what are their names?
You may be able to have a stab at answering some of these questions from your observations, but have you discussed them directly? Have they actually shared their responses with you?
These are just a small selection of questions…I really could have gone on.
If you don’t know these things about each person then how do you expect to lead them in a way that’s right for them…that develops and supports them to higher performance?
Get to know your sales people as human beings and you’re more than halfway towards a high performing team.
Remember…the best leadership practice is the leadership practice you actually do!
Until next time
