A huge part of any successful sales team is accountability. This goes for failures and accomplishments. Holding your sales reps accountable when they crush the game and fall short of their goals will help boost motivation and inspire action because they know there are consequences for poor performance and rewards for good performance. So, what are some tactics for actually holding sales reps accountable?
Set Clear Goals
It’s difficult to hold people responsible for things when they don’t have a clear understanding of their own goals. Establishing explicit, tangible targets gives your reps a more feasible path to goal attainment and makes it easier for sales managers to track if sales reps are performing. Goals should also be visible to everyone daily to ensure that it’s never out of sight. It also allows your sales reps to have a better understanding of their performance, as well as the entire team’s performance. Some ways to improve goal visibility are through custom dashboards, TV screen slides, and celebrations–it also helps to be available via a mobile app for busy sales reps that are always on the go.
Communicate Expectations
A Gallup study identified 12 key elements that best predict engagement and performance in the workplace. According to this Q12 Index, the first basic need is knowing what is expected of you at work– of which only half of employees reported that they do. And, of course, people need to know what is expected of them to take accountability for things in the first place. When expectations are explicitly stated, it is much easier to point to specific tasks or targets when they are not completed. This also empowers them to own up to past performance and take responsibility for their successes and their shortcomings.
Track Progress
Setting goals and communicating expectations go hand-in-hand with this point. To do either effectively, you need to track progress–this will help you set realistic, attainable goals and hold your sales reps accountable for the work that they are expected to do. This also taps into the competitive nature of sales reps. Measuring and visualizing progress on targets will inspire your reps to perform and surpass their peers. There’s something about seeing a co-worker ahead of you on the leaderboard that really fuels the fire.
Make Performance Visible
“90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual.”Data visualization is incredibly important for creating accountability and transparency within your sales teams. Making performance data readily available and visually digestible helps build a culture of trust. Your reps will know that there is nothing to hide and that they have no excuse to avoid responsibility for their performance–whether excellent or poor. It also helps motivate sales reps to stay on top–or strive to get there.
Give Regular Feedback
“82% of employees really appreciate receiving feedback, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.”
Having regular 1-on-1s through a sales coaching program is an important aspect of managing a successful sales team. It’s a great way to hold yourself accountable for providing frequent feedback to your reps and sets a good example for their behavior as well. Studies also show that “43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week compared to only 18% of employees with low engagement.”
Gamification is Key
If you want to make goal setting, transparency, performance updates, feedback, and recognition easier than ever before, feel free to check out SaleScreen. Our team will happily walk you through the product, explain how it works, and determine if it might be the right fit for your teams. To schedule a demo, simply click on the banner above or visit our homepage.
