Growing a sales-based business is not an easy task. It may be the single most difficult challenge a business owner can face. The success of any business depends on implementing the right strategies concerning brand development, marketing, sales, and customer service. Success doesn’t come instantly, but if one builds a solid foundation for the brand and is then able to manage an effective sales team, the sky is the limit.
Business Management Basics
Having a true passion for the business you are managing is extremely important for your success in your position. It is also important for the success of the company. There is a need for strong skills in the areas of business planning, strategy, finance, and marketing. There is also a need for communication skills, leadership skills, and a strong understanding of motivating and rewarding employees. A clear strategic vision for the company is a necessity. So is the ability to make informed management decisions based on research and analysis of the market, competitors, and other external and internal forces. Understanding the impact these aspects have on your business is critical.
What Makes an Effective Sales Team?
- A strong, centralized sales culture and environment, established by the manager and carried forward by those on the sales team
- Natural energy/ synergy between members
- Meaningful relationship building with clients/customers
- Great time management skills
- Ongoing learning
- Accountability
- Communication and collaboration
- Structured goals
- Celebration of successes
Tips for Managing an Effective Sales Team
- Recruit the best people for the job
- Know how to sell
- Provide consistent coaching
- Inspire your team to succeed
- Set the pace for the sales team
- Clearly define a process
- Measure the team’s performance
- Manage the forward pipeline
- Communicate effectively with your sales team
- Protect the time of those on your team
- Celebrate team successes
Sales Team Tools
Advances in technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and process automation have changed the landscape for sales teams over the last few years. With that in mind, some sales tools can help to improve a team’s overall performance, automate normally time-consuming tasks, and support significant transformations in the sales process. The tools are generally focused on the following:
- Communications and conferencing tools
- Content sharing and content management
- Analytics
- Account-based sales and marketing
- Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
- Email management
- Performance management
- Sales engagement
- Sales and market intel
- Lead generation
- Productivity
- Contract management
Measuring Successes
The quality of any sales team strategy is only as good as its execution, and sales metrics are the guideposts. The best sales team managers know how to manage an effective sales team from beginning to close of the sale. They focus on a clear set of metrics and key performance indicators along the way. This information is then used to increase the effectiveness of decisions moving forward.
Growing a Sales-Based Business
It takes a lot to be successful in sales. You need to know your customer well and you need to be resilient when it comes to dealing with rejection. You need to know when to talk and when to listen. You also need to know when to lean on technology. This will help improve your processes, help you close a higher number of deals, and shift the time normally spent on those tasks to other things.
The potential benefit of the many tools on the market today is exciting. If you really want to tap into how to manage an effective sales team, make use of the best tools out there. Contact United World Telecom today to learn more. This can help you can spend less time researching and doing tedious things and more time selling and managing your sales team.