Transforming an Average Sales Team into Amazing Sales Leaders

Your sales team is an untapped source of never-ending leadership potential. But don’t run and grab a shovel just yet; our method of sales training provides you with the tools to extract success with the utmost care and precision. When analyzing and transforming the effectiveness of your sales team, it is vitally important to look beyond the numbers to the human aspect of sales leadership.

Creating Great Leaders

Step 1: Observe and Assess

While it may be tempting to begin promoting promising team members immediately, doing so will only lead to failure. Besides consulting our sales training program and employing Dynamo’s GapAttack® methodology, the first step towards creating a team of leaders isn’t aggressive action, it’s quiet observation. Make note of each team member’s strengths and their contribution to the company. By doing so, you can assess their skillset and gain a better understanding of their unique value.

Step 2: Give Feedback

Step two is part of a driving theme in our sales training: communication. How can we expect progress if the other person is unaware a problem or challenge even exists? The answer to that is clear: No advancement can be made without communication. Development does not happen in the dark.

To provide meaningful feedback, consult the notes made during the observation stage. Remain objective, focus on the vision, and develop a realistic plan for growth and development with input from the team member.

Step 3: Provide Mentorship / Coaching Opportunities

Mentoring’s key purpose is the sharing of skills and knowledge. Simply put, sales members who wish to lead need guidance. Progressive organizations ensure that all team members get the support they need to reach their maximum potential and continue and soaring upwards.

Transformation is possible in two ways. The first is individually designed sessions with a mentor. Each team member is given personalized feedback that focuses on their particular assets. The second is professional coaching through sales training. Here, team members gain a vast amount of knowledge, in addition to consulting with a seasoned mentor. Collaboration with an outside source is an effective way of getting your sales team to the next level of leadership.

Characteristics of a Leader

You’ve completed all three steps. You’ve observed and assessed your team, given them feedback, and provided mentorship in the form of sales training. Now, you can put down that shovel and watch the leadership plant blossom and flower, right? Not quite.

The process of transforming from average to amazing is ongoing. A solid checklist that culminates into final leadership status does not exist. However, there are certain qualities that we can look out for. As a glimpse into our sales learning program, here is a list of seven qualities that all great leaders possess.

• Inspiring. Impactful leaders inspire creativity to increase profit. They are adaptable and flexible rather than rigid and old-fashioned. Your leader should motivate others to live up to their potential and help elevate the team.
• Goal-oriented. Clear, attainable goals must be identified and communicated to the team by leaders. These goals provide direction so that the needs of both the clients and team members are met.
• Valuable. Value is a two-way street. An outstanding leader provides value to the company while also valuing other team members. This type of leader firmly believes that employees are as valuable as treasure and should be treated as such.
• Supportive. An effective way of supporting your team is by providing incentives. There are two types of incentives: material and emotional. Effective leaders provide financial incentives for team members to perform at an optimal level. At the same time, they provide emotional incentives in the form of praise and recognition.
• Communicative. In addition to communicating goals, individual feedback should also be communicated. Talented leaders have a knack for providing constructive criticism in an uplifting manner. They assure the individual that they will be supported every step of the way.
• Empathetic. Empathetic leaders are in tune with the needs of the team and clients. An aloof, disconnected leader will always miss the mark or fall short of achieving their goals. A phenomenal leader understands what is required of them because they put themselves in the shoes of others, ask meaningful questions, and actively listen.
• Accountable. The hallmark of a great leader is their unwavering sense of accountability. They never play the blame game; instead, they focus on solutions and put plans into place that prevent errors in the future.

Take Action

One person in charge of a company with all the above attributes will generate profits but imagine an entire team with those qualities and a growth mindset. It can happen but shoveling to reach that buried potential is challenging. The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. Dynamo Selling’s GapAttack ® analysis, combined with tailored sales training that meets your company’s unique needs, will help you achieve your dream team. Contact us to set up a free consultation.