5 simple steps for Sales Managers to create the ultimate sales team

A productive sales team is the engine that drives a company’s performance and, ultimately, profit. Since sales has such a direct impact on company growth, maximizing a sales team’s effectiveness is a top priority for most Sales Managers. In this blog, we cover five simple steps that Sales Managers can take to build the ultimate sales team.
Step 1: Establish a good hiring process
The first step to building a great sales team is establishing a vetting process to identify candidates who match your company’s unique needs and selling style. Use the interview to test potential hires by crafting questions that assess essential characteristics such as communication skills, team skills, resiliency and adaptability. These traits are the foundation for a great salesperson.
Next, be specific and realistic with applicants when it comes to performance expectations, any training offered, sales tools provided, the territory, and the specifics of your compensation plan to avoid any misunderstanding down the road.
Lastly, cast a wide net by utilizing a variety of recruitment strategies including recruiting events, staff referrals, advertising, digital optimization and external recruiters.
Step 2: Induct and train appropriately
To build a winning sales team, put everyone through a comprehensive sales training that teaches your team how to succeed. Offer a high-quality training program that focuses on building skills through real world applications. To keep your team’s skills up-to-date, implement regular reinforcement training such as roleplaying, shadowing and attain books that reflect your company’s selling style.
Step 3: Have metrics in place
To build the ultimate sales team, it is critical to define your sales goals and expectations. Have key performance indicators (KPI’s) and metrics in place that your team understands and follows. Without realistic or SMART KPI’s or metrics, there is no accountability. Examples of performance measurement include a ratio of cost of sales to revenue, meeting conversion rates, and forecasted vs. actual sales. It is important to keep in mind that during a sales slump, focusing solely on results can be discouraging. During these times, it is helpful to measure sales activity such as the number of contacts and prospects that have been followed up with.
Step 4: Give your team the right tools
Great tools that boost the productivity of your team are well worth the investment in the long run. Business Intelligence software is one essential tool for a winning sales team. Business intelligence enables your team to identify the top and bottom customers, compare sales over time, perform gap analysis, trend analysis, and forecasting.
Industry leading Business Intelligence such as Phocas doesn’t require knowledge of Excel or complex ERP systems. The software collects data from your financial, customer, and supply chain records and provides real-time reporting through the dashboard or graphical view of your sales. Your team can quickly identify which products or services are selling, which are not, sales by location, and who is responsible.
Step 5: Celebrate the wins together
Celebrating wins is a great way to unify the team, build momentum, and inspire your team to keep up the good work. Celebrate small wins with a weekly success email, a gift card or a meal at an expensive restaurant. For special wins, consider an after-hours get together or let your team go home early. A sales team that feels appreciated is motivated toward continued growth.
Top 7 KPIs and metrics for mid-market executives

Download eBook
Fill out the form below to download the eBook.

We make people feel good about data

7 effective sales team KPIs and metrics
Sales managers need to be savvy and strategic to get ahead. Fortunately, there are many advanced data measurement and analytics options available to help you motivate your team and drive performance.
Read more
Top 10 financial analysis blogs of 2021
The Phocas business intelligence blog was created to provide free advice about data and add value to the way business people approach data problems or tasks. Now the scope of the blog has extended to include financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting and planning tips. The extra topic areas coincide with the creation of new Phocas solutions to help people understand the past, operate better today and plan well for the future.
Read more
Phocas is an “out of the garage” finalist: a global growth award
Phocas is a finalist in the 4th annual Pause Awards for demonstrating global growth, expansion and success.
Read more
How to get your KPIs on track with data analytics
Many data analytics vendors give users the ability to measure everything but offer little guidance. Too much choice can be overwhelming for new users. Instead, we recommend determining the metrics that matter to your business and to get you started; Phocas helps you establish KPIs in the data analytics solution.We have three pillars that serve as guideposts to help you decide what to measure. So every area of your business from sales, inventory management to finance is measuring core KPIs that contribute to the overall success of the business.
Read more
Find out how our platform gives you the visibility you need to get more done.
Get your demo today