Episode #14: The Five Keys To Creating The Ideal Sales Workplace

Every work environment has elements that drive success and others that hinder progress. Here are the success drivers;

1. Best Our Rivals

Sales can become very internally focused. The constant review of sales numbers and focus on existing clients draws us into a web of self-absorption. Shifting the world into “us” and “them” can be great for focus and encouragement. Intense rivalry is a motivator and beating the other sales team is a worthy goal that appeals to the competitive nature of sales people, so focus them outward.

2. High Income Factory

Having no limits on sales people’s earnings motivates. Rather than thinking how to reduce commissions, employ a no-ceiling attraction there to drive results and create a win-win for everyone. Keeping the unlimited income prospect in everyone’s sights is good business. The more salespeople succeed, the more attractive you are to the quality talent you want to attract and retain.

3. Focus On Personal Development

The basics of sales can’t be neglected or truncated. Every high performance athlete or sports team goes back to the basics at the start of every season. Sales people are no different – back to basics on a regular basis eliminates or confines bad habits.

Short cuts emerge, best practices are trimmed, inconsistencies pop up, complacency arises when sales people, even the good ones, find themselves immersed in routine. Stimulation to vary the presentation or to inject some fresh ideas into the sales conversation is needed. Training, attending sales rallies, industry related conferences and events, support for reading and on-line courses, are all magic stimuli for sales people.

4. Self Directed

The best sale culture is one of accountability for production , independence and a will to achieve. Organised tenacity, creativity, freedom, success orientation - should be the dominant attributes. Make it clear at the hiring point that “this is how we roll here”, because sales is a brutally honest results culture.

5. High Praise & Recognition Culture

It may be thought that self-directed sales people don’t need praise or approbation. They want it anyway. Don’t ever underestimate the competitive nature of sales people and their appetite for having their egos stroked!

Successful sales leadership builds people and manages processes. Paying attention to the macro-environment, as well as the gritty detail, will help build a sustainable, high performance culture in your sales organisation.

Is what I have outlined here doing a good job in describing your current work environment? If not, take some initiative and push hard to change it to a success model, rather than let it continue as a blame model. If you can’t change it, then get out. Good salespeople are welcome everywhere and life is too short to work for idiots.