Making Your Numbers Is Only the Beginning

Steve Benson, Founder & CEO of Badger Maps

One of the biggest mistakes a sales manager can make is keeping sales reps in roles they’re not a fit for. Leaders need to ensure everyone is in the right role, or at least on the right career path, especially when it comes to sales. It’s not just about making the numbers, it’s about making the entire company better. That might mean changing how you look at your sales team.

In the long run, sales might not be the best fit.

We have to take an entirely new perspective on sales roles in order to find success for the individual and the company. There isn’t a clear path for most people going into sales. Often they simply don’t know what they’ll be up against or what skills are really required for the role; they also may know what’s in their own natural characteristics until they get on the job. That’s unfortunate since other majors, like marketing or accounting, give you a pretty good sense of what it takes to succeed when entering the workforce.

Not everyone starting out in sales needs to stay on that career path. Some could end up with something totally different and maybe unexpected like operations, product management, marketing, or recruiting. By identifying who should be in sales and who has more talents elsewhere, you not only benefit the individual but the entire business.

Make sure your reps pursue sales for the right reason.

Taking the time to work on early career development also positively affects tenure. We often see people bouncing from job to job and looking for that perfect fit. But what if your company is the place to help them find that ideal spot? It can happen only if you work on an individual level.

At the end of the day, it takes the bravery and commitment to know that sales isn’t just about the numbers — it’s also about growing the talent and expertise throughout the company for true success.

To read the complete article, Making Your Numbers Is Only the Beginning, visit Quotable.com.