A company is only as strong as its sales team, and if you have not taken the time to build a strong foundation, your business will definitely suffer. Building a team may take time, but if you go about it the right way, it is an investment that will keep paying off.

There are three main things to keep in mind when you are ready to build your team, and these points will help you fast track your success.

1.    Focus on Sales Recruiting – Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric stated many times that hiring should be the main focus of your business. You simply cannot let your sales staff become stagnant.

By continually working on sales recruiting, you will be able to build a solid and talented team. Don’t be afraid to replace team members that may not be hitting their quotas. In this economy, businesses can’t afford to be tied down by dead weight.

2.    Hire a Sales Management Director – As the owner of a business, you have enough on your plate without having to manage a sales team. You may want to consider hiring someone to handle sales management for you. The extra expense will be offset by increased productivity, and later sales.

Again, this is a position that will need to be monitored for productivity. If your current manager isn’t cutting it, don’t hesitate to replace them.

3.    Use Project Management Software – To some business owners, the thought of utilizing project management software seems incomprehensible, but even the smallest sales teams can benefit from a cohesive strategy laid out in a logical form.

Set goals for your sales staff, deadlines for specific projects and allow your sales management director to actively manage the team’s projects. You don’t have to be a million dollar company to act like one, and the result is typically success.
By focusing your energy on sales recruiting, and letting your manager handle the actual team, you’ll be freeing up your time to spend on more important matters. Hiring should take precedence in your organization unless you are at financial point where this is no longer feasible.

Three Mistakes to Avoid

Your team may not always function the way you would like, and there are a few mistakes that business owners can make that reduces productivity. Let’s look at some of these common mistakes and how to counteract them.

• Failure to motivate. If your team is not motivated, they will not produce. It’s merely human nature, but you can harness it for the greater good of your company. The success of your company may not be enough of a motivator for most salespeople. Try finding monetary or tangible motivators to keep your staff happy and productive.
• Letting problems continue. If you have a sales staff member that just can’t seem to get it together, the first move should be discussing the problem and setting a specific date for resolution. If that date is passed and they simply cannot meet their goals, then you will need to let them go.
• Failure to innovate. Any business can benefit from innovation, no matter how small it may seem. Encourage your team to come up with new ideas and new concepts.

Putting it All Together

Now that you have the key ingredients to making a team that will function for your company, don’t delay putting it together. Start recruiting new team members and see where they can take your company.