Sales Team Issue #8 – Sales Team Synergy

 

 

Quite simply, another way of explaining this issue is to say Team Unity. As sales team members and sales leaders, we all understand that every person is going to handle their job responsibilities in slightly different ways. This is typically based on their personalities, past training, level of experience and how they understand management’s instructions.   

As a sales leader in your organization, it is a good idea to have diversity, however it is a great idea to have unity. Unity is driven by an understanding of the company’s Vision and Mission statement, the quality of the leadership provided, equitable compensation, team successes, recognition, authority granted, humility, a quality organization, and excellent products. Your vision and mission should be privately communicated and publicly displayed throughout the company’s facilities.

Whether you are a solo operator or a large team leader, it will be imperative to coach your associates on the importance of contributing to the company’s vision with every activity. If the proposed activity does not contribute to the vision, then it should be eliminated. These mission-based activities can be very diverse. The depth of expertise required will frequently demand working with other disciplines inside your organization, or possibly retaining that expertise outside from a contractor. As salespeople, we rely on manufacturing, operations, IT, logistics, product development, other departments, and people that have knowledge and responsibilities beyond our scope.

Your coaching should be thorough and consistent as you work to drive home the individual culture that creates unity.

The culture creation that creates unity should include training on every aspect of the sales team’s skill set. People appreciate the investment in their career and professional expertise. This appreciation is part of the loyalty you will receive from your team as they realize your interest in their success.

No matter the angst it might create, accountability and sales metrics are also part of the mix. Salespeople want to be treated fairly and equitably.

Metrics tied to compensation plans should allow for fair treatment to both the employer and employee. Metrics that become punitive to the salesperson because they exceed quota, should be discarded for a better system.

Practicing favoritism can quickly create divisions and instigate anger in the individual performers. The way people are evaluated should be clearly communicated to everyone involved. Ultimately this level of consistency helps your team understand they are an essential part of an organization they can be proud of.

Sales leaders must always be mindful of the fact that any individual will base their decision to stay and contribute upon the potential of the company to provide a viable future for them. Consequently, care must be taken with praise, reprimands, the timing, and quality of their reviews to ensure that each individual feels valued as a key contributor to the success of the company.

Recognition for a job well done is a viable way of creating unity with your team. If everyone has a win-win mentality, then seeing one of their peers receive an award should motivate them to a higher level of performance.

Another aspect of synergy is the personal authority given to an individual who has earned the freedom based on past performance and wise decisions. By delegating authority, the sales team leader can spend more time working with the less experienced associates to help them achieve mastery in their job functions.

Every company should strive to have the right frequency of team meetings with the salespeople to promote information transfer, company directives, and allow best-way information to be shared among the sales team. Meetings should be timely and not be held just for the sake of having a meeting. Seriously consider having strict time limits, a written agenda communicated in advance, and key action plans generated as a result of the meeting. Meetings should keep the team on the correct track (Policing deviations), which contributes to the unity of the team.

Having friendly competitions between teams and individuals can add a little spice to the competitive spirit normally found inside people oriented toward a sales occupation. The combination of the public competition and rewards can add a lighthearted, energizing effect to the attitudes of the individuals on the sales team.

The quality of your products is always an impactful aspect of the morale, productivity, and unity of the salespeople. Personally, I have left several long-term employment situations when the quality of the products and services declined to the point that I did not want to experience the grief from my customers over poor quality. This can be a fundamental aspect of retaining or losing the synergy that the company has worked diligently to build.

In summary, it is important to put some thought and energy into the unity of your organization for the sake of productivity and the impact it will have on your customer base. Every customer should be able to conduct business with one of your locations and expect to receive a very high level of effectiveness, efficiency, and service consistently across the board.

A last footnote to this section should not be neglected. Hiring well, and through onboarding is going to be a critical aspect of the synergy created in your organization. Applicants should be screened not just for sales abilities, experience, and education, but also the attitudes they will bring to the job. The attitude of strong confidence in conjunction with the humility to accept orders will carry the employee and the company a long way.

Do your utmost (I strongly suggest pre-employment screening tests) to hire people with a strong propensity for sales and a driving personality focused on excellence.