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2020 has truly been an intense year of changes and adaptation to tragedy, and while we cannot prevent all tragedies from occurring, the one thing entrepreneurs and businesses can control is how they respond and react post-stimuli. Business models have drastically changed from 2019 to 2020, introducing new challenges and opportunities that forced organizations to pivot quickly in order to remain competitive and viable. Now, the question is what lays ahead for businesses in 2021? Thanks to the resiliency of humanity and grand interdependent efforts made by numerous industries, prospects are slowly starting to appear more positive, especially with a COVID-19 vaccine currently in global delivery. However, proactive organizations do not just hope for the return of positive business cycles; successful management teams plan mitigation efforts ahead and strategize for scalable, long term successes despite economic expansion or recession. January brings about great beginnings, Change Connect is here to help get your organization off to a strong start in the 2021. By implementing these 5 best practices below for business innovation, you can feel sure that you are preparing your staff and company for a smooth transition in the new year. Ensure employees feel safe & productive in their working environment Are you able to social distance and wear masks in your workplace? Or have you found alternative ways for employees to stay productive and safe, like working remotely? The most important aspect of your working arrangement presently is that all employees feel safe and comfortable with wherever they are so that productivity levels stay up. However, that does not mean everyone wants to work from home; many surveys have indicated that, “millennials aged 20-40, who are ready to get back to their offices for the camaraderie and desire to meet with clients in person,” (Brown, 2020). Strengthen customer interactions We are all customers to various brands, however when you think of your favourites, what have those brands done for you that makes them stand out? Shaping the interactions held with consumers whether in person, over a call or through online social media is key to fostering a valuable long term relationship. Are your customer interactions engaging or could they be improved? Consider putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and experiencing your brand from their point of view by personally going through the touchpoints of your organization. Are some areas too long, unengaging or confusing? Target these areas of weak performance to improve your pipeline’s efficiency. Secure & protect data with cloud solutions The global economy has brought along a global need for high information accessibility and security, offered by numerous high quality cloud storage systems already used by major organizations today. Google and Microsoft are heavily dominating in the field, offering Workspace and Teams, respectively. Cloud services allow organizations to access shared and personal files securely with internet access, in addition to downloading the files for offline work. Email, calendar and meeting services have also been introduced to further integrate and simplify your workflow. Adapt your business model to embrace innovation Creativity and innovation are vital for business longevity in the face of conflict, as shown by the successes and unfortunate failures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizations that have been able to shift their business model to welcome remote and digital revenue sources have largely been able to keep business prospects hopeful. Automating processes that do not require human touch has allowed companies to shift human assets elsewhere, allowing them to specialize in and focus on activities that generate greater value for the organization. Incorporate social responsibility into your goals The present day consumer is more conscious about social issues and injustices more than ever. Customers actively seek out companies who take meaningful stances on current issues and promote socially responsible practices from within. Corporate social responsibility comes in many forms depending on your internal and external environment. For some companies it means setting key performance indicators relevant to a reduction of pollution, supporting charitable causes, investing back into their communities, or potentially combatting discriminatory workplace practices. 2020 by no means was an easy year for entrepreneurs, however the lessons that can be learned will provide extremely useful information for future generations. Brands that have been able to digitally shift and innovate their day to day operations to be flexible have done a fantastic job of adapting to this, still, uncertain environment. Innovation requires change, meaning an unfreezing of the status quo must occur, followed by implementation of the change and a refreezing to solidify this new innovative measure. While that may seem scary, simple innovative measures like the 5 listed above are great starting points to ensure your organization is ready for the future!

The coronavirus pandemic has turned 2020 upside down. Global air traffic decreased by 80%, the stock market erased 3 years of gains, and according to the World Bank, the global economy is expected to shrink by more than 5.2%. Amidst cancelled vacations and lockdown induced cabin fever, we find ourselves starting every email with “… during these unprecedented times” and missing the simple things like overpriced bar drinks. As the whole world begins to cower under the barrage of lemons, this is our opportunity to make gigantic jug of lemonade. Here are 3 way to take advantage of this pandemic. 1. Take advantage of the slowdown Many businesses are experiencing a downturn in productivity which means that day-to-day operations are at a standstill. Take this opportunity to send out prospecting emails as they are less likely to get buried under inbox clutter. 2. Connect with your customers As the sales cycle slows down, use this time to build a closer relationship with your new and existing customers. Once the pandemic is over (and it will pass) and business returns to normal, you can get a head start with new leads and a better understanding of your customer base. 3. Adapt to your customers’ changing needs Even though the economy is shrinking it does not mean there aren’t any opportunities, in fact, the opposite is true. As people and businesses adapt to the pandemic, it may have resulted in the creation of new markets and sales prospects. This is the time to evaluate the changes to your customers’ needs and adapt your products to address them accordingly. COVID-19 is most likely going to have a long-term affect on economic status but this unexpected shock to the status quo can be leveraged as an opportunity to drive more sales, smarter sales. With a customer-centric shift to your sales strategy, you can grow your business and come out of this pandemic stronger post-pandemic.

Social media has opened individuals and organizations up to global opportunities that have expanded international potential for greater brand awareness and target market accessibility. The success of numerous brands and personal influencers is a strong testament to the powers of social media, however attaining a scalable position in the social media world requires consistent, innovative effort. Have you found yourself in a social media rut or has your audiences’ engagement hit a plateau? We’ve compiled the top 5 reasons brands encounter slow or no growth in their social network, paired with best corrective strategies to ensure your social blade is always on the rise: 1. Stop blaming the algorithm; What is your content really saying about you? Social media is amazing for building audiences, personal brands and customer bases; you have numerous free platforms upon which you are able to customize and personalize the experience your target audience has with your brand. If your followers aren’t engaging with your content or finding value in it, they are the ones telling the instagram algorithm that a given piece of content shouldn’t be promoted to other similar users because they don’t find value in the content; not instagram. Critically and constructively view the persona you have created for your brand online; do you feel welcomed or interested? Does your content provide your followers and future followers with actionable value, or does it fill their feed with useless information? A|B Test different content types to ensure your content is interesting and useful. 2. You’ve assumed your popularity is greater than it really is Social media accounts with large followings are often initially very intriguing until taking a deeper dive into the audience’s true lack of engagement. If you’ve found yourself in a position with a seemingly substantial online presence that for whatever reason just won’t grow or provide your organization with meaningful results, you’ve likely overestimated the quality of your online audience. Therefore, rather than focusing on gross totals of followers, likes and comments, turn your attention to your engagement rates; social media’s most crucial KPI. As a percent of your total following, how many users take their time to interact with your brand. The average ranges between approximately 1%-4% for various industries, however by understanding which content styles return the highest engagement, higher rates are very achievable. 3. Your content is only about you Healthy client relationships should aim to ensure your clients feel heard and that you’re truly aiming to help them, rather than just complete a transaction with them. A collaborative process of give and take builds much greater loyalty, rather than a company that is constantly pushing a ‘me, me, me,’ message. Without a doubt, highlight your brand and all the unique features it has to offer, but never forget to blend that with appreciation for the other half of your organization’s survival; your clients. Thanking clients for feedback, highlighting client use cases and appealing to your customers’ personal values are all great ways to maintain healthy client relations. 4. You aren’t targeting your audience In any business scenario, knowing exactly who your target audience is provides vital leverage an organization can use to employ resources to reach that audience more effectively. Consider your brand’s target market, now consider where your brand can be found online; are these platforms you’ve chosen the best places to find your clients during and outside of working hours? You need to be easily accessible where your audience is as there is no guarantee that they’ll go out of their way to find you. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter are extremely popular social media platforms, and despite areas of overlap, each appeals to different potential clients in different ways. Also, the method under which content is shared differs, thus it is important to take note that content must be targeted directly at your clients through a manner that is best fitting to the platform. 5. Your content is not engaging Social media provides organizations with an amazing opportunity to show a more personal side of their business, and let the human values of the brand shine through. Whether your goal is to drive a desired emotional response or to enable a transaction with your company, content that is overwhelming, unorganized or not interesting will distract a potential client from being able to decode the value you are trying to provide them with. To grow your audience, don’t just post content to your main feed and then leave, solidify a great impression by also being engaged on your own social media accounts. Answer client messages quickly, reply to comments encouraging your audience to continue the conversation and show appreciation for online reviews by thanking them. Competitive, high quality service must continue no matter where you are. Social media is constantly changing and organizations must engage in innovative practices to ensure online presence success. Unfortunately, social media roadblocks can slow the process of cultivating a healthy digital community. However, by taking an honest look at your content, the health of your audience, and your social strategies, as outlined above, you’re sure to be on your way to sustained network growth.

Over 1/5th of your contact database decays every year, so expanding it can feel impossible; luckily, we’ve compiled our favourite strategies below to make the process much easier! Your contact database provides you and your organization with a vital, direct link to communicate with clients who have already established their interest in your organization. Email marketing communications consistently have proven to perform at high levels, boasting an average ROI of 4300% for businesses in the USA, with greater engagement rates than other social media campaigns, according to the Direct Marketing Association. Unfortunately, as consumers’ preferences and email addresses change, maintaining an accurate, valuable mailing list is no passive act even if your content is already amazing. However, by working smarter - not harder - we can boost the efficiency of our efforts to foster a healthy, positively-trending contact database with these tips: 1. Encourage your contacts to share your emails with their friends & family Most individuals surround themselves with others they trust and are like to some degree. That is to say, your contact already fits into your target market and may be able to link you to other similar individuals likely to benefit from the product/service your organization provides! Consider adding sharing buttons to your email marketing materials, such as “Email to a Friend” and “Subscribe” buttons for these new contacts to join your mailing list. 2. Add a subscription hyperlink to your signature line For potential customers who are not yet subscribed to email communications, but are in contact with you or other employees, simplifying the process to sign up for further content via hyperlink from the signature line is a natural way to promote a long term relationship with the contact. 3. Segment your mailing list contacts for enhanced personalization Let’s say you’ve identified a contact who consistently opens email marketing communications that features new technology in the subject line, but almost never opens anything else. In your contact’s profile, try noting their specific interest or other identifying information as a tag to segment your audience further. When you go to send the next piece of mailing list content, you can send it to your entire audience or a specific segment of the audience that has a certain tag or tags. By further appealing to the unique interests of your clients, and not sending them irrelevant clutter, the likelihood of unsubscription decreases and engagement increases. 4. Create a lead generating offer Potential contacts are much more likely to hand over their contact information if they feel they are getting something of value in return. Thus, consider providing a “gated offer”, in which after providing their email address, the new contact will receive a free demo / guide / template / discount / bonus content / etc. 5. Make your mailing list accessible from all social media platforms Ensuring your clients can subscribe to your mailing list from your main website is crucial, however you’re missing out on many potential contacts if that is the only route you take! Provide a link, or use numerous available integrations from various CRM platforms to integrate your mailing list sign up form to platforms like Facebook and more. This way, no matter what avenue a potential contact takes to find your brand, they won’t experience any hassle or discouragement from subscribing to your communications. Not sure how to get your mailing list off to a great start? Consider purchasing one of our Change Connect targeted email marketing lists! Mass email lists sold by other companies should never be bought, no matter how enticing or safe some may seem. Contacts on mass commercial lists are not guaranteed to match your target market, and definitely did not personally indicate interest in what you may or may not be able to offer them. Put yourself in the consumers’ shoes, if you received an email from a brand you have never heard of before or provided your information to, you’d likely experience a very negative first impression leading your opinion of this brand to be less than trustworthy or respectable. All it takes is a few shares of a client’s poor experience with your organization to seriously damage your public relations reputation in the long term. With a Change Connect email list, you can ensure the contacts receiving your communications will find actionable value from your offerings. Overall, mailing lists have cemented their importance to businesses of all kinds for generating greater financial performance and assisting with vital customer relationship management practices. Whether you’re just considering starting a mailing list, or are looking to improve the functionality of your current mailing list, implementing the strategies and best practices listed above will have you starting off ahead of the pack.

The importance of establishing an online media presence is crucial in allowing you to help build an audience, connect with your customers and keep them updated on business activities. A strong online presence allows you to build your brand and gain the credibility that you need to attract more customers. 1. Create A Social Media Strategy (and stick to it) Before you try to convert your social media strategy into sales, you should spend your time thinking about your company goals and strategize on how you want to use your social media presence to create more business. At this point you should be thinking about how your business will be protrude to prospects online. Somethings you should considered: Your key message List of keywords that describe your business What type of contacts/platforms will be most appealing to your target market Use analytics to help you in molding your strategy. Posting the wrong content at the wrong time for the wrong audience will be detrimental in terms of growth. Useful metrics to take advantage of to enhance your buyers’ journey: Number of reactions/shares/comments on a post Days of the week/time users are most active How many clicks a link received Demographics of your audience: age, sex, location, interests The use of analytics will help in addressing customer needs and better understand the experience when dealing with the brand itself. 2. Online Calls to Action All of your calls to action should be designed so there are minimal barriers to potential customers for engaging in business with you. For example, they should be able to book an appointment with you without having to call someone. Another great way to drive business from an online presence is provide coupons or promotions. Optimizing your social media platforms to be appealing and conducive to your call to actions. 3. Convert Online Networking into Offline Networking Although nothing beats meeting your prospects face to face. Social media platforms can be used to amplify your networking efforts. Especially now, more than ever. Due to COVID-19, networking online has become a way of life. You can use multiple sites to reach more people then you can at any networking event or ask for introductions online. Leverage social media to establish your businesses creditability before your prospect connects with you. LinkedIn for example, if your self-employed, have a side-hustle or just looking to advance your career - LinkedIn is a great way to connect with like-minded professionals, post job openings and share content. 4. Measure, Analyze and Adjust One of the great upsides to using online tools to drive business, is the ability to collect and analyze data. This is a critical but often overlooked benefit of social media presence. Use this data to understand where you are getting the most conversions from! You can’t expect to get your strategy perfect on the first try. Iterating your strategy with real data from efforts is the best way to tailor your efforts to your business specifically. Building an online presence isn’t just beneficial to growing a business – it’s absolutely essential. In this digital age, a strong online presence on social media – a website, blog, an e-commerce platform – preferably all four – is the best way for your company to remain competitive. Digital is here to stay, make sure you don’t get left behind. An online presence is one of the most important investments that a business can make.

Every business is driven by customers. Customers equal sales. So – what do customer insights translate to then? If you guessed increased sales, then you’re already starting to understand the benefits of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Beyond bringin’ in the dough, customers provide companies with a clearer direction and purpose. They offer feedback and directly promote the growth of your business. For that reason, understanding your customers is the key driver to growing your company’s sales. A properly implemented CRM system stores everything related to managing customer relationships – contact information, data, metrics, notes – all in one place. The tools within a strong CRM system aim to help your company develop effective and personalized strategies for managing customer relationships. Once you determine the right CRM system for your industry, sales reps and customer base, the resulting benefits to come are endless. Here, we highlight the major benefits of introducing a CRM system into your business: 1. Improve customer outreach through automation According to Campaign Monitor, “72% of customers open an email due to the discount it offers and 62% customers open due to the personalised subject line.” CRM systems capture data and insights on an ongoing basis, while analyzing industry and market trends, allowing you to create and automate more relevant and personalized messages to your audience. By placing different customers into groups based on shared interests, different drip campaigns can be created for each group. By leveraging the automated email function, you can set up a series of emails targeting a specific audience that are sent when triggered by a certain action. For example, on an online bookstore, if a customer creates a list of memoirs, instead of sending them emails about books, you can add them to a drip campaign for people who add memoirs to their list. Your customer is more likely to open your email due to this personalization, forming a direct connection with them. 2. Increase sales productivity According to Salesforce, “CRM apps can increase sales by up to 29%, sales productivity by up to 34%, and forecast accuracy by 42%.” CRM platforms provide businesses with invaluable information about their customers, which arms sales reps with the knowledge to better meet their customers’ specific needs. Tools like sales reporting allow salespeople to understand how their customers interact with their business and how the business can meet those needs most effectively. Due to the variety of tools available on an effective CRM platform, such as sales enablement tools, process automation, sales reporting, and access to tons of personal customer data, sales reps have the correct information to engage in meaningful and personalized interactions with prospects. Additionally, CRM’s ability to streamline and automate processes reduces the time sales reps spend on tedious duties like data entry and in turn, frees up time to focus on customer concerns and strategizing sales practices. 3. Growing Customer Retention According to Capterra, “CRM users found that 47% of respondents say that CRM usage has a substantial impact on customer retention.” By implementing an effective CRM system, more accurate and focused marketing strategies can be developed to target certain segments of your audience. Through appealing to customer interests and addressing their concerns or even anticipating their needs, you can keep current customers loyal and attract new customers. CRM Questions? Interested in learning more about how to use your sales data? Thinking about implementing a CRM platform for your business? Feel free to reach out to us and we’d be more than happy to help!

People buy from people they like or are like. I say this ALL the time. Let’s be honest, there’s a pretty good chance there’s someone else doing exactly what you do. And it’s never been easier to find those people. So how do you stand out and close that sale? By connecting with your prospects through great conversation. Stop filling awkward silences with the standard, "what do you do?" or "how about that weather?" Start having meaningful and memorable conversations with your prospects. So how do you get started? 1. Don't settle for just yes or no Choosing a question that requires more than a single word answer is an easy tactic. By not letting your conversation partner get off easy with a single syllable answer you also gain a great opportunity to learn what makes them tick. It's just one step towards building a strong connection. 2. Active Listening It's easy to get distracted and simply just wait for your turn to talk. Or worse, just line up a series of questions just to fill dead air but then completely ignore the answers you're getting. Your listener can sense this and can back off. On the other hand, if you actually focus on the conversation in order to give insightful replies or questions then help them feel more confident and hopefully share even more. 3. Compassion Now that you've been listening with your full attention you can use what you've learned to understand exactly what they're feeling. You may have even have experienced a similar situation. Resist the urge to simply repeat back your story. Instead, help your listener feel more included and comfortable by keeping the focus on them. 4. Memory Game So you've been listening, right? Now prove it. Bring back relevant details that your conversation partner has shared with you. It proves you cared about their story and are now willing to strengthen the relationship. This goes a long way towards building trust. 5. Offer Insight We're at the finish line. Now that you've been a great conversation partner you can bring it all together by offering insights. Bear in mind, not all conversations require advice but if you're able to offer helpful guidance based on careful deliberation then you've established yourself as a credible confidant While this list isn't all-encompassing it's a great start to having stronger, more productive conversations with your prospects. Each tip is designed to make your prospect feel more at ease and to validate their position. By doing so, you'll find it a lot easier to connect with them and become that trusted partner that your prospects are looking for. Just do your best not to talk about the weather.

In the role of a sales manager, there’re many people that depend on you. Whether is your knowledge, experience or techniques, you are expected to uphold a certain level for each quality. Along those characteristics as a sales manager, your ability to coach is what help keeps your team capable. For a great sales coach, there are 3 most important qualities you need a master: The ability to listen The ability to keep from interfering The ability to build positive relationships with your sales rep Tip #1: Master your listening skills Allowing your reps to talk and while listening carefully to what they have to say is an essential skill for sales managers. It is important to for your reps to freely express themselves on the issues or situations they are experiencing. Not does it helps you identify a solution for them quicker, it helps build trust with your reps. As a Sales manager, you should ask open-ended questions when you are helping them come up with a solution. These questions should help your sale reps identify their own solution rather than providing them with the answer. As they find their own solutions, they will be able to tackle much more difficult tasks in the future. Tip #2: They will learn with their own experiences - Stop Interfering One of your ability as a coach is to sometimes do nothing. As a sales coach, you want them to achieve independence. It is difficult to not interfere when one of your rep is struggling, but their lessons learned from their own attempts and failures will stick them much more. Through you training sessions, guiding your reps to see why things weren’t according to plan with their prospects is an important task. They will learn much faster through their own experiences. Of course, the mistakes that you let them stumble on should be minor. The objective is to help you reps see what went wrong by themselves. Build a positive relationship through trust Coaching your sales representatives becomes much easier and productive when they trust you. Reps that feel confident that they can freely express themselves and know their sales manager have their back will listen and learn much quicker. Sales reps that don’t trust their sales managers will be dishonest to avoid consequences. They will tell you what you want to hear, and not what they plan to do. You do not want them to hide their bad behaviours out of fear you will judge them. If they can’t express themselves freely, then you can’t help to address their problems. As a sales manager, your main goal is to help improve your reps help and building a strong positive relationship with them is the fastest route. Final Thought The best way to coach your reps is to help them develop their own solutions. Ask open-ended questions to guide them and to give them the opportunity to learn their own lessons. Your sales representatives improve much quicker when they know you are there to support what they do.

Your sales people are the face of your business, which means you want to keep them happy, motivated and engaged. Sales people who perform exceptionally well are difficult to find, so when you have them, you want to keep them. However, even the happiest team members can become unmotivated at times. Salespeople oftentimes feel they are constantly under fire from having goals and quotas to meet, being the primary point of contact for potential and existing customers, and oftentimes being at the receiving end of complaints from disgruntled clients. Still with all the demands they may be faced with, quality sales people want to succeed. Below is a list of tips to keep your sales people happy and motivated. #1 Build Trust: There is perhaps nothing more important than staying in constant communication with your team. But, the communication can’t be shallow; it must be in-depth conversation whereas everyone is being entirely upfront, honest, and transparent. Trust plays a major role in motivation. Your sales people need to have confidence that you trust them and that they can trust you as well. Having this form of open communication will build trust and lay the groundwork for discussing goals and challenges. #2 Build Relationships with Your Sales Team: It is difficult to motivate the members of your sales team without knowing and understanding their personalities. Each one will have their own style of selling and an effective manager will understand this is an important factor in knowing how to develop a strategy and set goals for all sales personnel. For instance, some people thrive on public recognition of their accomplishments while others prefer a more personal approach. Also, in regards to other forms of feedback, you will have some members of your sales team who want to know the moment an issue arises, whereas others may prefer an email. Building relationships and finding a common ground for communication will enable problems to be readily addressed and praises to be acknowledged. So, when motivation falters, the problem can be resolved quickly. #3 Set Goals: As you nurture the business relationship with your salespeople, you’ll know whether they are motivated by recognition, friendly competition with peers, cash, or a desire and commitment to positively impact the organization. Being challenged with goals is a key motivator. Always set realistic goals and create different types of objectives, ranging from quotas to goals that will help each person grow individually. #4 Encourage Self-Care: Motivation can falter when your team is not taking time for self-care. Regardless of long days or quotas that need to be met, if stress is an issue, the drive to excel will lessen. If you notice a sales person not producing at his or her normal capacity, or less personable than normal, take time to find out what the issue is and if possible help the person get re-engaged. If it’s been a while since he or she enjoyed time off, encourage it. Having a healthy balance in life is essential to success, both personally, and professionally. #5 Inspire Camaraderie: It is easy for salespeople to become isolated from other departments in the business because they are juggling so many tasks. However, department members should get together routinely to avoid finger pointing and miscommunication. Through being provided with the opportunity to openly discuss issues, goals, hurdles, etc., it ensures that everyone is aiming towards the same result and encourages everyone to work together. This builds relationships and mutual respect, which has the ability to quickly launch into new growth for the company. #6 Make the Rewards Meaningful: Cash rewards, public recognition, and higher commissions are great incentives, but when you take it a step further, it makes it more personal; which can be a great inspiration. By making the rewards meaningful, you convey that you know the person as an individual. For instance, perhaps one of your sales people has three small kids and he and his spouse never go out due to lack of reliable childcare. A meaningful reward in this instance would be to provide childcare for them, or give them a weekend away. On a group level, the reward may be treating everyone to a barbecue at your place, or going out to lunch in the middle of a workday. The point is, show that you appreciate them for more than their sales efforts; and recognize each of them as individuals whom you appreciate and respect for their hard work and dedication. #7 Be Creative: Ask for input from your sales team as to what they’d like to see implemented. The results may take you by surprise and include anything from fun group outings, team building exercises, or additional vacation time. Knowing how to motivate your team could result in more participation in the less fun tasks such as cold calling. When it is attached with a desired reward, some members will step up to the challenge without a second thought. Final Thoughts Ultimately, when you have salespeople who want to succeed, they can be easily motivated by these simple suggestions. As you hire salespeople, evaluate them carefully to ensure they have the morals and values that fit your requirements. Anyone can lose motivation occasionally, but there are people who lack motivation altogether and regardless of the amount of effort or training you invest in him or her, you can’t change their personality. Select people that have the right personalities and invest in making them happy so they will be devoted to you long-term.

A good sales manager will have certain qualities and skills that sometimes differ greatly from those of a sales rep. And because of this a great sales rep will not automatically make a good sales manager. The qualities of the two vary in many ways. Although sales is primarily based on communication skills, something that both a sales rep and sales manager should have, not everyone has the management skills required to guide a team to success. A sales manager may not have a knack for executing a sales technique, like a sales rep would, but they will have great organizational skills and the ability to create a plan of action. The successful management of a team is based on understanding strategies and techniques, and having the ability to motivate others to do what is necessary. Motivates the Team The best sales manager will take ownership of the company’s mission and values, aligning himself or herself in a way that motivates the team and leads them to accomplishment. A good sales manager will listen to the team and encourage their feedback, realizing that the sales team has valuable insight into customers needs and interests. When the manager is a strong leader, the sales team will feel valued and respected, which is generally a strong motivator in achieving goals. Another aspect of mastering motivation is the ability to build relationships with the team as a whole as well as knowing each person individually. Knowing how to identify what motivates each person will provide insight as to how to build him or her up and even provide redirection when necessary. Showing empathy and appreciation is a necessity for a good sales manager as well. Team members appreciate being recognized for a job well done and it doesn’t always have to come in the form of money. For example, if the team environment is light hearted then silly trophies or other forms of recognition can be great morale boosters. Avoids Micromanagement A good sales manager will have full trust in his or her team so the need for micromanaging would never be an issue. Micromanaging the sales team will not encourage them to increase sales, and may in fact result in the opposite. Micromanaging occurs when the sales manager lacks confidence that employees are capable of doing the job, and thus feels the need to watch over shoulders. A strong sales team is one that has a clear understanding of what is expected, is equipped with the tools necessary in order to do what is expected, has received appropriate training and knows the goals and timelines for meeting goals. Salespeople are generally independent and having someone monitoring or questioning every move will deter motivation and only create frustration and unhappiness. Micromanagement can be portrayed as a lack of trust and eventually sales team performance will falter. The ideal approach is in taking action to address shortcomings so issues can be resolved. Knowing each person on the team will increase loyalty and is just as important as recognizing the traits and skills needed as new team members are hired. Invest in Your People Being familiar with human resource skills is advantageous regardless of the direct involvement of the sales manager in the hiring and firing process. A successful sales manager will know the skillset and qualities to look for in candidates, as well as having the ability to confidently ask candidates questions during the interviews. This will facilitate an accurate assessment of skills. Perhaps more important than properly assessing skills the cultural compatibility. Communication Skills Are Always Crucial Communication skills are important across the board. As a sales manager, it is crucial you are able to communicate goals and objectives to your team, as well as having the ability to listen. These skills are also important in conversations with upper management or owners. On occasion upper management sets unrealistic goals or expectations, generally due to their unfamiliarity with everything involved in sales. In such situations, it is crucial the sales manager has the communication skills to convey the issues at hand and be the liaison between upper management and the sales team. A loyal sales team will remain loyal when they know the sales manager will stand up for them, when necessary. The ideal sales manager will have the ability to see the big picture, regardless of the company size. The sales manager is constantly involved in the roles of communications, motivation and managing progress; making changes whenever necessary. A strong sales team is created by strong leadership skills of the sales manager. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.