Sales teams are one of the most critical parts of any business. They are responsible for selling products or services to customers. But very few companies can boast an effective sales team. This is because it’s not easy to scale a sales team.
Scaling your sales team can be highly profitable for your business. A sales team that is large and effective can generate millions of dollars in revenue while also improving customer satisfaction.
This article will outline five simple steps to help you scale your team effectively. Following these steps will create a more efficient sales process that can help your business grow.
Table of Contents
Sales Team Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make
Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of not giving their employees a commission for their work. This big mistake leads to disgruntled employees who may not put in the effort required to produce results.
Hiring salespeople can also be expensive, and many entrepreneurs think this way. However, if done correctly, hiring salespeople can generate more leads than hiring regular employees.
Finally, many entrepreneurs believe that experience is not necessary when it comes to hiring salespeople. Making a wrong hire can cost $100k. That’s the finding of a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. They found that the average cost of a bad hire is about 1.5 times the employee’s annual salary.
The study also found that bad hires can have a ripple effect on an organization, leading to lower productivity and increased turnover. So how can entrepreneurs avoid making costly mistakes when hiring? Here are three tips:
- Take your time in the selection process. Don’t rush to fill a position just because you’re under pressure.
- Use online tools to help you assess candidates’ qualifications. Many tools can help you evaluate candidates’ skills and fit for your company.
- Get input from others in your organization before making a final decision.
Calculate the Results in Advance
Sales teams are always looking for ways to increase their profits. One way to do this is to calculate the results in advance. You can do this by multiplying your profit margin by your capacity, which will give you a rough estimate of how much you can expect to sell.
Knowing how much you can expect to sell can enable you to plan better for and forecast future sales. This will help you ensure that you have the correct number of employees working on your team and that they are adequately trained.
Being creative with your sales strategies enables you to find ways to increase your capacity and improve your profit margin. There are many different methods that you can use, so be sure to experiment until you find what works best for you.
Get Role Clarity (DNA) for Your Sales Team
There is a lot of debate over whether sales teams should be hunters or farmers. The hunter mentality focuses on going out and finding new business, while the farmer mentality focuses on cultivating existing relationships. Both approaches have pros and cons, but what method works for your company depends on your specific situation.
If your company is just starting, you will likely need a more aggressive hunting approach as you build your pipeline. However, selling a more commoditized product or service will probably have more success cultivating relationships with your existing clients.
No matter which strategy you choose, there are two key things to keep in mind:
- Make sure you have a well-defined target market and that your sales team focuses on reaching those prospects.
- Always be prepared to go the extra mile for your clients – they should feel like they are the only thing that matters to you.
Sales teams play a critical role in any business. But what if your sales team isn’t performing as well as you’d like? It might be time to consider personality profiling.
Personality profiling is a way to assess the personalities of your sales team members. This can help you identify which characters are a good fit for your company and which ones might need some extra coaching or training. There are two personality profiling tools available:
DISC Assessment
The DISC assessment model measures four main traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance. A high dominance score usually indicates someone who would be successful in a sales position. However, you should note that having a high dominance score does not mean that someone is automatically the right fit for a sales role.
While this can give you a general idea of someone’s personality, it does not indicate whether or not they would be a good fit for your specific company culture or job role. Moreover, it does not indicate that it is the right tool for all organizations.
Before using DISC to assess potential employees, consider your organization’s culture and the job role you are hiring for. Ask yourself whether the person’s personality traits are aligned with what you are looking for in that position. It is important to carefully select a personality assessment that meets your organization’s needs.
Sales Strengths Identifier
We developed the Sales Strengths Identifier alongside the world’s largest personality profile company. It is based on the theory of psychological type, according to Carl Jung. It uses seven categories and 54 attributes to identify how well someone can sell. Each of these categories has two attributes, which means that there are 108 possible combinations. The seven types are:
- Extraversion/Introversion
- Sensing/Intuition
- Thinking/Feeling
- Judging/Perceiving
- Assertiveness
- Stability
- Openness
The SSI consists of a series of questions that measure an individual’s sales-related strengths and weaknesses. It provides a detailed report that outlines the individual’s strengths and areas for improvement, as well as recommendations for how to capitalize on the individual’s strengths and overcome any weaknesses.
The SSI is an invaluable tool for anyone in the sales profession, whether they are just starting or have been selling for many years. It can help individuals identify their selling style, understand what motivates them, and learn how to better deal with rejection.
By understanding the personalities of their team members, a manager can better assign tasks and responsibilities and create an environment where everyone can work together harmoniously to achieve common goals. Personality profiling can also help salespeople on your sales team better understand their strengths and weaknesses and how to best capitalize on them to close more sales.
Chicken or Egg? Hire Your Sales Team Manager First or Hire Reps First?
Sales teams are a vital piece of any company, yet the process of creating one is often unclear. Do you build the sales team first and then find a manager, or do you find a manager and then build the team around them? The answer to this question is not black and white, as both approaches have pros and cons.
If you have an experienced sales manager, it may make sense to start recruiting reps to join their team. This will give the manager someone to manage and mentor and help ensure that the team has a cohesive culture.
However, if you don’t have a sales manager for your sales team in place, it may be better to start by recruiting reps and finding a manager to lead them.
This allows you to find the best possible candidates for the manager role rather than trying to fit someone into a position they may not be suited for.
One advantage of building your sales team is that you can be more selective in who you hire. You can find the best reps and then bring on a manager who has the skills to lead them.
This approach also allows you to define the culture and tone of the sales department early on. On the other hand, the advantage of finding a manager is that you can start generating revenue sooner.
Components of a Sales Team System
Invest in Leads (If you want to scale faster)
Without leads, your sales team will spend their time cold calling potential customers who may not be interested in what you have to offer. And even if they are interested, they may be too busy to take the time to speak with you.
Leads can come from a variety of sources, both online and offline. But the most important thing is that they are high-quality leads with a good chance of turning into a sale. This means that your lead generation process needs to be efficient and effective so that you’re not wasting your time or money on leads that aren’t likely to convert.
Develop Your Playbook
When building a sales team system, having a playbook is vital. Your playbook should outline the steps you will take to close a deal, who is responsible for each step, and what the expected outcome should be. A playbook will help keep your sales process organized and ensure that all team members are on the same page.
To create a successful playbook, you’ll need to define your sales process. The steps in your strategy may vary depending on your product or service, but they should generally follow this pattern: prospecting, qualifying, proposing, closing, and servicing. Each step in your process should have specific goals that contribute to the overall goal of making a sale.
Regular Training
A well-oiled sales team system is essential for any company looking to increase its bottom line. The critical components of a successful sales team system are:
- Regular Practice: This can be done in-person or online, but everyone must be up-to-date on the latest product information, selling techniques, and company policies.
- Drill Your Sales Team Regularly: This can be done with roleplaying exercises or simulated customer interactions. Your team must be comfortable with handling objections and closing deals.
- Rehearse Your Sales Pitch Frequently: Make sure everyone is confident in their ability to present the company’s products and services clearly and concisely.
Build Your Sales Team Recruiting System
Sales teams need a recruiting system just like they need a marketing funnel. To consistently bring in new leads and sales, you need to have a process in place that is repeatable and scalable. The same is valid for recruiting. You can’t just wing i t when hiring new sales reps. You need a plan.
Your sales recruiting system should include a process for finding candidates, screening them, and then onboarding them. It’s also essential to have a plan for tracking your results so you can continually improve your process. The best way to build your recruiting system is to model it after your marketing funnel. Start by identifying the steps involved in the process and create corresponding tasks and tools.
When building your recruiting system for scaling up the sales team, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Traffic
Traffic is important when recruiting a sales team. You want to ensure you are targeting the right people and that they can easily find your job openings.
Age is nothing but a number when it comes to sales. Great salespeople are motivated by money, and they are people of all ages. So don’t discount someone because of their age – look at their skills and experience instead.
Networking is a great way to find top sales talent for your team. Talk to your colleagues and friends, and see if they know anyone who would be a good fit for your company. The more people you talk to, the better your chance of finding the perfect candidate.
Landing Page
The landing page is often the first impression a potential candidate has of your company. It can be a make-or-break opportunity to convince them to learn more about your prospects.
Your landing page should be carefully designed and optimized to generate interest in your company and its opportunities. It should include clear information about who you are, what you do, and why someone should want to work for you.
Pre-Screening
Pre-screening is weeding out unqualified candidates before they are brought in for an interview. You can do this by reviewing resumes, conducting phone screenings, or using online assessments.
An essential part of pre-screening is ensuring that the candidates you bring in for interviews are qualified. This will save time and money and help you find the best candidates for your organization.
Hiring Manager
The hiring manager will be the one who decides whether or not to hire someone, so it’s important to make their job as easy as possible. One way to do this is to avoid discriminatory questions. Discrimination questions can be challenging for the hiring manager to answer, and they can also be illegal.
Group interviews are also a bad idea. They can be challenging to manage and don’t give the hiring manager a chance to get to know each candidate individually. Instead, the hiring manager has to rely on the opinion of others, which can lead to mistakes.
Onboarding
Onboarding when scaling up your sales team can seem like a daunting task. However, it can be a smooth process if you are clear on your desired outcome. When scaling up your sales team, it is essential to have a plan to ensure that the new members are integrated and productive as quickly as possible.
One key factor to consider when onboarding new sales reps is how long it will take them to become productive. Depending on your sales cycle, you may want to give them 30, 60, or 90 days to ramp up. During this time, it is important to provide them with the training and support they need to succeed.
You should also consider how your system will work with the new members when scaling up your sales team. If you have a Playbook in place, it will be easier to onboard new reps and get them up to speed. You can also use past Hot seats as a training resource and roleplay potential scenarios with the new representatives to give them a sense of what they might experience on the job.
Conclusion
Scaling your sales team can generate millions of dollars for your business. If you want to improve your sales skills and techniques, you should take advantage of this free offer. A Sales Strengths Identifier Assessment will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, so you can focus on the areas that need improvement.
