Leadership Series: How To Lead Your Sales Team Effectively In Tough Times

Leadership is a powerful tool to great accomplishments for any team or organization. The sum total of skills or abilities in a team is not as important as the leadership of that team. It is based on this mindset the late Dr. Myles Munroe said, “a herd of sheep led by a lion will always defeat a herd of lions led by a sheep.” This is the same reason when a football team is performing poorly they don’t sack the players rather they sack the coach because everything rises and falls on leadership. Besides, like the famous saying, “there are no bad soldiers under a good general.”

More than anything, leadership is an attitude and this attitude is reflected in the state of the team especially during tough times. If the sales team seems unmotivated to bring in sales, here is what you must do:

1. Make a decision

Decide to turn things around, decide to raise a high performance and highly motivated team. The key word here is ‘decide.’ If you decide to win, nothing can stop you. Use the power of your decision. Decision is greater than destiny because without a decision no one can get to any destination.

2. Take 100% responsibility

If you take 100% responsibility for the mess, then you would have rid the problem of its power then made that power yours. Hence, you will now have the power to change the situation. The good thing is, when you’ve changed things the success will be 100% your responsibility. However, great leaders give credit to their team for their success but take responsibility for their team’s mess.

3. See differently

Inside every seed is a potential forest. Nevertheless the seed will never be aware of its huge potential to produce a forest until the forest shows up. In the same way, see your team members as seeds; they have in them the potential to be mighty and strong. They may not know but you should know and see them that way. Therefore, see them not as they are but as they can be. The ability to see potential is a leader’s greatest tool to activate the potential in people. Don’t compare your team members with others, allow them grow at their pace but keep seeing the best they can become and talk to them that way. If you talk to the king or queen in them that king or queen in them will come to the surface.

4. Raise your expectations of your people

It is said that followers rise to the expectations of their leaders.  Have great expectations of them, never look down on any of them. Remember, you are the lid to their potential. If you remove the lid they will soar, if you cap their potential with a lid they will atrophy. Followers always know when their leaders believe in them and expect great things from them. Expect them to win, to give their best and when they see you have such great expectations, they won’t want to disappoint you.

5. Invest in their personal development

The desire for growth is an innate human need. The moment people realize that working with you means they will grow, they will want to stay with you. Place them on a growth plan or schedule. Give them books to read, have trainings for them to increase their effectiveness, let them attend seminars, have personal coaching sessions with them. You have no right to demand from people what you did not invest in them.

6. Show them you care

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Genuinely love your team and let their best interest be in your heart. Beyond the job be interested in their personal goals and make them see how they can achieve their personal goals by helping you achieve yours (in a sense align their goals with your goals such that your goals become theirs). This will only be possible if you creatively come up with a schedule for spending time with your team members. Maximize birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates of your team members. It was said that Napolean Bonaparte had very loyal soldiers because he seemed to know them personally. Walking through the battalion he would literally one after the other ask each soldier personal questions about their well being based on previous discussions he had with them.

7. Cast your vision

Be clear on what the vision of the team is. Know exactly what you want to achieve. Clarity is power, so write the vision, display it for all to see, discuss it, debate it, sing it, plan with it. Be as creative as you can to cast the vision in as many ways as possible. One thing is imperative with regards to vision; Harvard Business Review asked a CEO of a start up how he was able to lead a team of about 50 people, with no salary for a 3 year period after which the business didn’t even work out. One key point he noted was, people will be willing to move with you if you can make them see how what you’re trying to achieve can make the world a better place.

8. Encourage teamwork

Individuals win medals but teams win trophies. Encourage a team spirit so the strong can lift the weak and a synergy can be formed to produce better results. When two minds come together a third mind is produced. Doing this means emphasis will be placed on rewarding a team effort and not just individual efforts. A team will never thrive if the members of the team compete against each other instead of cooperating with one another. Therefore watch your reward system. Also, introduce tag team selling to your team members. There are times you meet a prospect and you can’t seem to build rapport or the prospect doesn’t like you or you don’t seem to get along well with them or you feel the opposite sex would probably do a better job in persuading this prospect. People buy from those they like, so don’t let the sale go. Instead, encourage your team members to never hesitate to move such prospects to someone else who can close the deal.

9. Move, then they will follow

Like Alexander the great, lead your army from the front, not from the back then they will do wonders. If your team see you selling, they will be inspired and compelled to sell too. Don’t be complacent with past victories. Keep aspiring for more sales and your sales team will become motivated to give their best.

10. Be willing to try again even if you fail.

Never stop believing in people because you were disappointed by someone. Be true to yourself, be the leader you were born to be then not only will your sales team follow you; even the world will follow you.

Together everyone of us achieves more. To get more resources to boost performance in your sales team, visit my Online Store. You can also book a team coaching session with me.