Sales managers should get staff on one simple goal

Written by Paul Goatman.

Sales managers need to get their staff back to the one simple mission of exceeding sales goals, an expert advises.

Peter Michie, writing for Sales and Marketing, says it is inevitable that in the downturn budgets will be cut and orders reduced, but good leadership will see the company through.

He states making each sales executive accountable for their own sales goals will help get the team on target, but adds that each employee needs a plan of how to achieve this figure.

Another tip offered by Mr Michie is to ensure people stay on target for this one goal and hold them accountable.

He adds that sales executives should be given the lead or means to make their targets achievable: "Where each person should be able to estimate how much new business they will need, and based on their average win ratio, how much raw unqualified opportunity they will need find via prospecting."

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of employment strategies consultancy Work Wise UK, recently advised companies to adopt smarter working practices to see the downturn through.

This includes being more trusting of staff members and allowing them to be managed by output rather than input.

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Filed: 02-04-2009