June 17, 2015
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
What are your methods for building a strong outbound sales team? For those in telemarketing software, the idea is to present a solution so robust that even the novice can realize success. In all reality, however, you still need to have the right people in place to produce the desired results. After all, the performance of the sales team can make or break a business.
Fortunately, the topic was covered in a recent Business2Community post by Andrew Gazdecki. An examination of the seven keys for building the outbound sales team, let’s take a look at a few of his recommendations and how they might make sense in your sales environment. If you’ve already invested in telemarketing software, it may be time to take a closer look at your team and how you can drive for even better success.
Recognize the Effort – Regardless of how robust your telemarketing software is, the sales team is doing a really hard job. They are often tasked with calling individuals who don’t know you or your brand. They get a lot of rejection and have to do the same tasks over and over again, despite how they may be treated on the other end of the line. Recognize this effort and empower them to drive success with the right tools and training.
Be Innovative – Keep in mind that your sales team has their eye on the prize and they will take the compensation plan as gospel truth over anything you tell them. Therefore, this plan has to align with your core values and what you are trying to develop. Don’t limit your sale reps’ ability to make money based on performance. You don’t want them to hit a plateau and then stop. Allow them to continue to be compensated for their effort.
Create the Win – It’s highly critical that you enable and empower your sales team to win. That means providing them with a robust telemarketing software solution and then getting out of their way. Provide the training and insight, but let them do what they do best and they will produce the results you want and need.
Feedback at All Times – Just like any other employee, your sales rep doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. If he’s awesome at something – tell him. If he’s completely missing the mark, tell him that, too and show him how to correct the behavior to produce what you need. It’s all about feedback and it’s needed all the time.
While this isn’t a comprehensive list of everything you should be doing to produce a strong team, it’s a great start. Take a look at your sales reps and measure their performance. Then, set your goals and start off running with these tips – you’re bound to see results.