From hiring to scaling sales numbers, the job of a sales leader is never-ending. And while bluer skies, warmer weather, and a hint of pollen signal the start of summer, we can’t let it sap our stamina. A few of today’s top sales leaders are weighing in on the issues you’re facing to help you finish the quarter strong.
On Hiring…
Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, once said that his bad hires — and their decisions — cost his company more than $100 million.
Leaders in organizations of all sizes — budding startups to billion dollar conglomerates— continue to wrestle with hiring best practices. Shep Maher, the Senior Vice President of Sales at Guidespark, has figured out a thing or two on the way to growing the company $18 million in 24 months.
Maher says that diversity is a key element in your company. After all, you are prospecting an audience that is diverse and you want your team to reflect this. You’ll find that having a mix of personalities and backgrounds will bring unique solutions and tactics that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
On Core Values…
Maher encourages sales leaders to communicate core values to employees all the time… not just during the hiring and firing process.
Salesloft CEO Kyle Porter kicks off each company meeting by reviewing our core values and mission statement. It is important to repeat our core values — Positive, Supportive, and Self-Starting — and mission statement in each and every meeting so they become ingrained in our employees.
On Engagement and Motivation…
“The job of a sales professional is difficult, so motivation is huge. Let SDRs know they are appreciated.” -Sean Kester, Head of Product at Salesloft
Another hot topic in the industry right now is the challenge of motivating and engaging SDRs. With the average lifecycle for a sales development rep lasting roughly 14 months, it’s no surprise that executives are working hard to find a way to keep their employees happy.
Each year managers increase sales quotas and shrink sales territories, which can get an SDR down in the dumps. So what is the secret to keeping the spirits of your sales reps high?
Mike Smalls, CEO of the sales motivation platform Hoopla, suggests these hacks for motivating your employees:
- When you ask something of your salespeople, give them reasons WHY
- Create healthy competition
- Point out progress to motivate — encouraging employees based on how far they have already come
- Reward intelligently. Giving your reps the ability to choose their reward will increase their motivation
Liz Cain, NetSuite’s Worldwide Director of Business Development says that your SDRs need to feel (and believe!) they are a part of a winning team. If they do, she says, it will crossover into every email, voicemail, and conversation they have with a prospect.
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We hope you found these tips as helpful as we did and are ready to crush the rest of your quarter.