Energy Matters: How to Build Sales Teams that Truly Deliver

High-performing sales teams are the driving force behind any successful business. Sales Leaders and Team Managers are constantly looking for ways to optimize their teams and maximize their results. In this article, we will explore the Team STEP Playbook, focusing on the "E" for energy, which plays a crucial role in achieving peak performance for your sales team.

Balancing Individualism and Team Alignment

Sales teams often face the challenge of balancing the unique qualities of individual team members with the need for alignment and unity. While celebrating individualism is important, it becomes problematic when a single individual's actions have a negative impact on the entire team. Regardless of an individual's exceptional performance, Sales Leaders agree that team members must work together towards common goals. In this article, we'll delve into the critical aspect of energy within sales teams and how to manage it effectively.

The Four Key Habits of Successful Sales Leaders

Before we dive into the energy aspect, let's revisit the four key habits that consistently drive the success of Sales Leaders. These habits include having a robust and repeatable sales process, focusing on a Team STEP Playbook, utilizing only a small set of key metrics for measurement, and maintaining a long-term focus on training and accountability.

Understanding the Team STEP Playbook

The Team STEP Playbook is a refreshing alternative to traditional strategic planning processes, which often lack energy and engagement. When Sales Leaders get the following aspects right:

• Strategy: This involves strategic structures, principles, and supporting tools that drive the business's function.
• Talent: It's about the type of people in your business and how they are developed, whether through external recruitment or internal growth.
• Energy: This is the lever that needs daily attention. Energy within the team has a significant impact on performance and success.

…it sets the stage for achieving PEAK PERFORMANCE.

Energy in Sales Teams

Energy within sales teams can fluctuate significantly, ranging from excitement to despair. Low energy levels often result from factors like lost deals, poor sales numbers, or delivery issues. This dip in energy can have a detrimental impact on both individual team members and the entire organization. Therefore, it's crucial to understand how to maintain high energy levels consistently.

Factors That Drive High Energy Levels

Sales Leaders should implement several strategies to maintain consistently high energy levels in their teams. While it might not be possible to adopt all of them, focusing on the most critical ones can significantly impact your team's performance.

• Rules of Engagement: Establish rules for how your team interacts with both Customers and Colleagues. This creates a clear framework for behavior and fosters a culture of accountability.
• Behaviors That Govern Us: Encourage respectful feedback, open dialogue, and keeping commitments and responsibilities. This helps maintain a sense of trust and accountability within the team.
• Team Efficiency: Minimize non-selling activities and reduce system duplication to keep energy levels high. Efficient workflows contribute to a more positive environment.
• Working in a Mobile Function: Enable team members to work from various locations and complete tasks efficiently. This flexibility positively impacts energy levels. With this, just ensure that teams are remaining connected and engaged and not working ‘in silo’ too often.
• Measurement Metrics: Focus on a small set of clear and effective metrics that the team can track, allowing them (and you) to dive deep into the root causes of performance when its required.
• Lead Generation KPIs: Develop strategies for self-generating leads in addition to marketing efforts. Salespeople who can generate their own leads tend to maintain high energy levels.
• Personal Network Growth: Salespeople should invest in growing their individual networks through various channels such as social media, networking, and partnerships.
• Lead Response Times: Maintain quick response times to leads to instill a sense of urgency and provide excellent customer service.
• Meeting Customers: Determine how the team will meet Customers and the necessary preparations before these interactions.

• Lead Generation Abandonment: Decide when to abandon a sales process that isn't progressing, so as not to waste time and energy.

• Accountability: Establish accountability for non-selling activities like admin work, CRM updates, and expense submissions to streamline processes and maintain energy levels.

• Post-Sale Referral Process: Encourage team members to reconnect with satisfied customers for referrals. It's a less intrusive method of generating leads.

• Challenging the Status Quo: Create an environment where team members are confident and empowered to challenge the status quo, share ideas, and contribute to continuous improvement.

• Difficult Conversations: Define the preferred method for having tough conversations within the team to ensure they are respectful and productive.

• Prioritization: Clearly define priorities, measure them effectively, and balance communication with the priority level to maintain focus and energy.

• Safety in the Workplace: Ensure that all team members feel safe, both in the office and while working remotely, and empower them to raise safety concerns.

Listen to the podcast: The Energy Approach to Building a High Performing Sales Team

Maintaining Consistently High Energy Levelstrain

Sales Leaders play a pivotal role in maintaining high energy levels within their teams. Here are some common traits among successful sales leaders who have achieved this:

1. Lead by Example: Successful sales leaders often bring their energy to the team. Personal health and fitness play a crucial role in sustaining this energy.
2. Defer to Others: Multiple team members contributing to energy and efficiency often lead to success. It's not about relying solely on one person.
3. Set Standards as a Group: Successful teams buy into a shared set of standards that define how they approach meetings and interactions, both internally and externally.
4. Praise Specifically, Criticize Generally: Praise individuals and the team for their achievements. When addressing issues or challenges, focus on the problem, not the individual.

Conclusion

In the fast-paced world of sales, maintaining high energy levels within your team is a key factor in achieving peak performance. By implementing strategies for managing energy, Sales Leaders can foster a positive, productive, and engaged team.

The Team STEP Playbook, which includes the elements of strategy, talent, and energy, offers a comprehensive framework for achieving this success. Embracing these principles can lead to improved team dynamics and better sales outcomes. So, take the first step and get started on your journey towards building high-performing sales teams that consistently deliver results.

Eager for more insights?

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Ben

I’m a builder of incredible sales teams, trainer, coach and an avid believer that the best sales leaders are constantly sharpening their tools to achieve an ‘edge’.

[email protected]