Twice during my career I was asked to build a sales team for start-ups. These were “something from nothing” scenarios. Each team eventually dominated the rankings.

Advice On How To Build A Sales Team

Twice in my career I took over last place teams. After a few revisions here and there, those teams also went on to dominate the rankings. I learned a lot about building sales teams, so here is some advice about on how to build a sales team that dominates the ranking reports.

Build A Sales Team With The Right Personality

Some sales teams have healthy and productive personalities. Others have personalities that leave much to be desired. You can feel a team’s personality when you walk in to their office. It’s in the air. Yes, a Sales Manager can influence a team’s personality but not totally change it. It is much more efficient and effective to build a sales team with the right personality.

Sociology tells us that when Personality “A” and Personality “B” join and work together, the result is not a combination of “A” and “B”. Instead, a whole new personality, “C”, emerges. In a group of 7 to 12 salespeople, each sales rep plays a major role in influencing that team’s personality. This is an important point when you attempt to build a sales team that will leave the competition in their dust.

Even that low producing rep in the corner influences the team’s personality. That rep may be quiet to the point of being invisible hoping no one notices his or her low numbers. Nevertheless, they greatly influence the team’s personality. What do you think would happen if a positive, productive and motivated individual replaced that rep? Keep this in mind when you build a sales team.

Build A Sales Team Void Of Gaps

Things are never easy but that’s not a problem if you know what you are doing. My point is that you can’t build a solid sales team by just hiring all the best reps in a city. You want to build a team that works together and not a team of individuals. You build a great sales team when you fill in all the gaps.

Granted, it’s a sales team so every member needs to know how to sell. However, each member of the team has certain strengths and weaknesses. When you build a sales team you want to leverage strengths so that they address weaknesses.

You want to build a sales team with balance. Take inventory of what you have and what you need. Then, hire reps that can address your needs. Some factors you may want to consider are…

Competitive Knowledge
Product Knowledge
Prospecting Expertise
Knowledge Of Systems And Procedures
Territory Knowledge And Contacts

The goal is to build a sales team with strengths that compliment weaknesses so that on the whole, the team is solid.

Build A Sales Team With The Right Culture

There is usually a lot of chatter on the sales floor. Unfortunately, all too often that chatter is about sports, the news, the weather and a host of other topics that have nothing to do with selling. A healthy sales team has but one focus… closing business. Life is good when you know how to build a sales team that is focused on selling.

Success will always go to the sales team with the best sales skills. That success is also an engine for intense motivation. You can never have enough success especially when the compensation plan pays bonuses once certain levels of attainment are realized.

Never overlook the importance of building a sales team that has sales skills at the center of its culture. The focus on new and improved sales strategies is something the sales manager must bring to the party. Build a sales team that is focused on sales training and the happiest day of the month will be the day the commission checks arrive.

I hope this advice will help you build an award winning sales team.

Source: Nick Moreno link