Top 4 Sales Leadership Mistakes to Avoid

Top 4 Sales Leadership Mistakes to Avoid – Complex Sales Can Be Complicated
In some respects, selling solutions is pretty basic.  You have a product or solution; you find a likely prospect that appreciates your offering; you add value; and you negotiate the deal.  But at each stage in the buying process there are potential pitfalls.

Are your sales reps fully prepped to win?

Top 4 Sales Leadership Mistakes to Avoid
No business, team, product, client, or market is exactly the same.  Because of this, a generic approach to sales development is ineffective. In fact, McKinsey found companies that tailor their business sales training programs are 1.3 times more likely to be high performers.

As different as their challenges may be, many sales leaders make the same mistakes.  Here are four of the most common to avoid:

1. Not Investing the Time to Fully Define and Understand Prospects
   First, underperforming sales teams are not clear about which customers fit best. Ideal target clients create repeat business, provide referrals, and supply testimonials.

   Secondly, underperforming sales teams do not invest enough upfront time or money researching prospects or asking insightful questions — two necessary ingredients to build rapport and set yourself apart from the competition.

2. Not Knowing How and When to Coach
   While most agree that sales managers are accountable for achieving sales team goals, underperforming sales leaders do not invest the time to properly coach their sales reps to succeed.

   Our research found that sales coaching boosts sales performance 4-to-1 compared to reps who do not receive consistent and frequent sales coaching. And it’s not about telling reps what to do but guiding them to change their behavior in alignment with your unique sales strategy and culture.

3. Over-thinking Decisions and Delaying Action
   Sales leaders set the example. When leaders are too slow to make a decision, everyone notices.  High performing sales leaders gather the facts, analyze the decision, and set the right course to move their sales strategy forward and to help their customers to succeed in a timely manner.
4. Playing Favorites
   Yes, every team has high performers and well-liked people. But it is not right to excuse any team member from living the team values, executing the sales strategy, or following the sales methodology.

   Leaders who play favorites lose trust, decrease accountability, and encourage politics at work.

The Bottom Line
Can you say you are not guilty of any of the above common failings?  Take a moment to consider whether any of the four impact your ability to be a good sales leader and, thus, the success of your sales team.

To learn more about sales leadership mistakes to avoid, download The Right Amount of Sales Performance Pressure to Get Greater Results