The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

The 2024 Talent Magazine dropped a bombshell on the state of workplace engagement, and spoiler alert—it's not pretty.

From burned-out bosses to a workforce on the brink of a mass exodus, these numbers are a wake-up call for anyone with a stake in the corporate game.

Every business needs a skilled sales team to generate a positive ROI, but on-the-job performance is rarely the product of training alone. In fact, a marketing novice could keep up with an unengaged expert provided they use the right motivation and productivity strategies.

However, it’s much harder to motivate staff than it is to train them. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to motivational tactics, as every employee is unique and requires wildly different incentives to sell. Understanding these differences will allow you to use your talent effectively.

In this Quick Take episode, we’re breaking down how to keep your sales team happy and productive.

You’ll not only learn why employee happiness and productivity go hand-in-hand but also actionable ways to increase morale and sales numbers at the same time.

Underperforming sales teams can significantly hinder a company's growth and success. If you're grappling with poor sales performance, now is the time to identify the root causes and implement effective solutions.

Hunters and farmers are crucial for a balanced and effective sales team. Hunters actively seek out new business opportunities, while farmers nurture and grow existing client relationships.

Setting benchmarks for these two distinct roles requires a nuanced approach to recognizing their unique strengths and contributions.

Have you ever interviewed or hired someone who couldn’t stop raving about their previous company?

Maybe circumstances forced them to leave, or the company was acquired, but they see their previous team as the best.

Now think about your team. Do your Account Executives rave about the culture on the team to anyone who will listen? Do they tell their friends that they should apply for open positions because your company is the best one to work for?

What is the “secret sauce” that beloved leaders of highly successful and happy teams have that everyone else is missing? Let’s find out.

Finding the right person for a job is challenging, especially with other responsibilities on your plate. Rushing through the process and taking shortcuts can lead to costly mistakes. A poor hiring decision can be expensive and difficult to reverse. Worse, once you part ways with a mismatched hire, you’re back to square one, facing the same urgency as before.

Consider this: if you don’t have the time to do it right now, when will you find the time to do it all over again? To avoid wasted time and frustration, getting it right the first time is crucial.

Have you ever spilled coffee down your shirt just before leaving for work and decided it would be a bad day?

You expected it to be a bad day, so it probably was! A negative mindset can set the tone for the hours to come.

On the other hand, have you ever felt so good about a presentation you were making that you walked in with super-charged confidence and a little extra bounce in your step? Odds are, your confidence level led to a top-notch performance, and that led to a positive outcome.

Both of those situations are examples of self-fulfilling prophecies. Self-fulfilling prophecies don’t just apply to you; they also apply to managing others.

Leaders are busy. There are always more things to do than hours in the day: planning, budgeting, coaching, tracking KPIs, creating sales calendars, and the list goes on.

And then all the fires ruin the most well-planned day. No matter how organized a leader is, somehow, every day has multiple issues that must be addressed immediately. Oh well, that’s the job, right? It doesn’t have to be.

You can change your leadership style by transforming yourself into a Proactive Leader and your team into Proactive employees.

Achieving excellence requires more than just closing deals—it demands a unique blend of talents that propel individuals to greatness.

As sales managers strive to curate their roster of business superstars, identifying candidates who embody the following six key talents, known as the "hunter themes," is paramount to new business development.