It’s no secret that recruiting and keeping the best sales team is hard. Salespeople are often described as “high-maintenance” or “high-energy.” They need to handle rejection, be accountable for their success, and constantly supply new leads.
A solid sales team can be the difference between growth and stagnation for your business. But if you’re willing to put in some work, it can pay off a big lot. Here’s some advice on how to recruit and keep a winning sales team.
Recruit the Right People
Foremost, you need to recruit the right people. Ensure they’re working in an environment where the sales process isn’t demoralizing or demotivating. There are plenty of traditional sales jobs out there, but those require more unique skills than what your team needs.
Instead, look for people who have an entrepreneurial spirit, who are great at dealing with rejection. People who are constantly seeking new and better ways to approach the market. People who are always learning.
Once you’ve identified the people you want, use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to streamline the application process. ATS will give you a complete view of each candidate, as well as the salary and compensation expectations of your organization.
Understanding How to Keep Top Performers
In this age of sales acceleration, where speed is everything, it’s not enough to hire a good team. Your best salespeople will get offers from other companies–not a good thing if you want to keep them. So, keep them.
How do you reward your outstanding players? Consider building in some rewards for top performers—a bonus for new sales; a small gift like a puzzle piece or a family game.
You can also use the concept of “appreciation.” Find out what motivates your New Home Star Builder Marketing, and then share that with them. Find out how the team’s success can benefit you as a business and communicate that with a small gift, like a free video call with a more senior sales team member.
Build Individual Accountability
One of the best strategies for recruiting and keeping a winning sales team is holding each individual accountable. Some of the best salespeople you’ll ever meet have a high drive and the ability to overcome obstacles to get the job done. It’s hard to do this if you expect everyone to come in and do it all. However, if you build individual accountability into your hiring process, you’ll be more likely to find these people.
You should include independent assessments to find the best talent. Be sure to evaluate each salesperson’s potential using several criteria and continually observe their performance. If you see someone that works well with others, you might include them in your team.
Create a Culture That Encourages Growth
The best salespeople are never satisfied with the status quo. They want to innovate and learn. They’ll push themselves and their team members to the limit to ensure they can do more and do it better.
Make sure you’re fostering an environment that encourages this type of growth and encourages innovation. For example, in the email sales industry, you’ll typically take your new leads to an analyst or executive within your organization. Once you’ve developed the relationship, make sure you invite them to become a customer or add them to your sales team. Continue the cycle by offering recognition, feedback, and the chance to do even more.
Once you have a plan to get the sales team you want, you will be more likely to get the results you want. If you’re going to grow, your sales team needs to grow with you. If you’re going to keep growth coming in, you’ll need to keep that team motivated and engaged. Use these tips to put together a plan to recruit and keep the best sales team possible.
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