Regardless of whether your sales force sells, provides a service or manages accounts, they are always in dynamic work situations with objectives to achieve. In this article we will discuss 3 key concepts to improve the results of your sales team: Workgroups, performance and HR.
Affinity levels
When defining the tactics to be implemented to improve the results of your sales team, it is important to consider the different levels of attachment that people can have with a company:
Fans: These are the people who "wear the shirt", there is a strong emotional bond with the brand.
Involved: They have a positive attitude towards the brand but are not committed to brand development.
Indifferent: They do not attach importance to the brand and may consider it expendable.
Detractors: They have a negative link with the brand that can generate behaviors that affect it.
Companies must be aware of the level of involvement of their sales force, working towards a correct identification that allows them to carry out tailor-made actions for them, and not waste efforts.
In the search to increase the effectiveness of companies, nowadays the emphasis is on smaller work groups, with fewer hierarchical levels, fewer employees and more decentralized. Sales managers want salespeople who work with greater independence and flexibility to meet customer demands.
To compete through people, organizations must do a good job of managing the sales force in terms of the knowledge, skills and capabilities that are of value to the organization. Managers must develop strategies to identify, recruit and hire the best talent available who can have the empathy necessary to build rapport, develop these individuals in a business-oriented manner and reward teamwork.
The following are 3 key concepts to consider to improve business results through motivated salespeople.
Working groups: One of the ways to increase employee motivation is through the creation of working groups that recommend solutions to management for them to decide on their implementation. This mechanism can be motivating because it connects employees to the company's objectives, and in addition to being able to generate important contributions, it increases involvement in the company and can raise self-esteem through recognition. High-performing sales teams typically have specific combinations of human resource practices, work structures, and processes that maximize the knowledge, skill, commitment, and flexibility of the sales force. They are based on the principles of high involvement in organizations, including information sharing, knowledge development, performance-reward linkages, and egalitarianism.
Performance: Good employee performance is vital for successful operations. It is therefore recommended that a performance appraisal be carried out. To do this properly, George Bohlander proposes the following three interactive elements approach:
MOTIVATION:
Professional ambition.
Conflict with employees.
Fairness/ satisfaction.
Goals and expectations.
ENVIRONMENT:
Equipment/ materials.
Job design.
Economic conditions.
Trade unions.
Rules and policies.
Management support.
Laws and regulations.
CAPABILITY:
Technical skills.
Interpersonal skills.
Problem solving skills.
Analytical skills.
Communication skills.
Physical limitations.
Some of the ways to keep employees motivated are: challenges, teamwork, respect, sales meetings, recognition, encouraging words and not too much control. This can be summed up in a question asked by leadership specialist Markus Buckinggham: "In your job, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
Employee pay is one of the most widely used tools to incentivize performance, but the success of an incentive pay plan depends on the company's climate and the trust people have in the company. "It is important that employees feel it is fair and related to their performance. Performance measures should be quantifiable, easy to understand and have a demonstrated relationship to organizational performance.
Human Resources
Although the possibilities for employee development within the organization are related to the size of the company, all companies must take care of people and analyze each case individually.
To improve the performance of the sales team, it is of utmost importance to match the needs of the organization with those of the salespeople. Here are some ideas on how to do this:
- Create a supportive context.
- Infuse the company's direction.
- Establish shared goals and planning.
- Identify the competencies that will be needed.
- Build pathways for career development.
- Balance promotions, transfers, dismissals, etc.
- Measure competencies through performance appraisals.
- Conduct talent inventories.
- Establish succession plans.
- Use assessment centers.
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