Ready to Scale? Here’s How to Build a Sales Team That Grows with Your Company
Scaling your business is exhilarating, but it brings a pivotal question to the forefront: Is your sales team equipped to grow alongside your company?
Building a scalable, growth-focused sales team isn’t just about hiring more reps; it’s about creating a dynamic, adaptable force that can drive sustained success.
Let’s explore how to assemble such a team, challenge common assumptions, and delve into actionable strategies to ensure your sales force evolves with your business.
1. Rethink Traditional Hiring Practices
Conventional wisdom suggests hiring salespeople with extensive experience and a proven track record. However, this approach can be limiting. Eleanor Lightbody, CEO of Luminance, emphasises hiring individuals passionate about a career in sales, even if they lack traditional qualifications. She advocates for hiring ex-sportspeople for their competitive spirit and resilience, focusing on attitude and skill over experience.The Times
Actionable Tip: Broaden your hiring criteria to include candidates with diverse backgrounds who demonstrate resilience, adaptability, and a genuine interest in sales. Implement structured training programs to equip them with the necessary skills.
2. Foster a Culture of Engagement and Collaboration
A high-performing sales team thrives in an environment that promotes engagement and collaboration. Anna Taromchi, Director of Sales at PartnerStack, notes that building a successful, high-growth sales team starts with a culture that supports empathy, curiosity, and the persistence to grow.
Actionable Tip: Encourage open communication, regular feedback, and cross-departmental collaboration. Create opportunities for team-building and recognise individual and team achievements to boost morale and cohesion.
3. Embrace Technology and Data-Driven Decision Making
In today’s digital age, leveraging technology is crucial for scaling your sales operations. According to Pipedrive’s 2023/2024 State of Sales and Marketing Report, 83% of respondents have implemented at least one new approach or technology in their sales process in the last few years.
Actionable Tip: Invest in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and sales enablement tools that provide insights into customer behaviour and sales performance. Utilise data analytics to inform strategies and identify areas for improvement.
4. Implement a Structured Onboarding and Training Program
A repeatable and scalable onboarding process ensures that everyone on your team has the same institutional knowledge and can provide a consistent and predictable sales experience.
Actionable Tip: Develop comprehensive training modules that cover product knowledge, sales techniques, and company culture. Incorporate ongoing education to keep the team updated on industry trends and best practices.
5. Set Clear Goals and Performance Metrics
To perform at a high level, workers must clearly understand what’s expected of them. That’s especially true in sales.
Actionable Tip: Establish specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your sales team. Regularly review performance metrics and provide constructive feedback to guide improvement.
6. Encourage Resilience and Persistence
Sales is a field that requires resilience and persistence. Statistics show that 80% of successful sales require five or more follow-up calls, yet 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up attempt.
Actionable Tip: Cultivate a mindset that views rejection as a step toward success. Provide support and training to help your team develop effective follow-up strategies and maintain motivation.
7. Align Sales and Marketing Efforts
A disconnect between sales and marketing can hinder growth. Aligning these departments ensures a cohesive strategy and a unified message to prospects.
Actionable Tip: Facilitate regular meetings between sales and marketing teams to discuss goals, share insights, and coordinate campaigns. Use shared metrics to measure the success of collaborative efforts.
8. Adapt to Changing Customer Expectations
The sales landscape is constantly evolving, and your sales team needs to be able to adapt and evolve along with it.
Actionable Tip: Stay informed about industry trends and customer preferences. Encourage your team to be flexible and open to adopting new sales techniques and technologies.
9. Prioritise Customer-Centric Selling
Understanding and addressing customer needs is paramount. Salespeople who focus on providing value and building relationships are more successful.
Actionable Tip: Train your team to listen actively to customers, ask insightful questions, and tailor solutions to meet specific needs. Emphasise the importance of building long-term relationships over short-term gains.
10. Monitor and Optimise Sales Processes
Continuous improvement is key to scalability. Regularly assess your sales processes to identify bottlenecks and areas for enhancement.
Actionable Tip: Implement a system for tracking sales activities and outcomes. Use this data to refine processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and replicate successful strategies.
Is Experience Overrated?
It’s a common belief that experienced salespeople are the cornerstone of a successful team. However, this assumption can be limiting. Hiring individuals with diverse backgrounds and a passion for sales, even without traditional experience, can bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. Eleanor Lightbody’s success in restructuring her sales team by focusing on attitude and skill rather than qualifications underscores this point.
Building a scalable, growth-focused sales team requires a strategic approach that challenges traditional assumptions and embraces adaptability. By focusing on hiring for attitude, fostering a collaborative culture, leveraging technology, and prioritising customer-centric selling, you can create a dynamic sales force that grows with your company. Remember, the key to scalability lies not just in expanding your team but in cultivating a resilient, adaptable, and motivated group of professionals ready to drive sustained success.