1. Identify key success factors.
What 2 to 3 things do your team members need to excel at to be successful? As you develop your shortlist of key success factors, keep it simple. The tendency of many sales managers is to complicate things that are actually simple at their core. For a sales team to succeed, they need to have focus. Keeping your key success factors simple enables that focus.
2. Require a business plan from each salesperson.
Key areas of focus for individual business plans should be how they will generate quality sales leads and how they will maintain an ongoing relationship with people who have bought from them in the past.
3. Develop a comprehensive coaching plan.
Coaching is the single most important activity you can engage in as a sales manager because it has a direct impact on sales performance. Creating a comprehensive coaching plan, and sticking to it, will go farther toward helping achieve sales goals than any other activity you can engage in.
4. Establish a coaching plan for each team member.
While the comprehensive coaching plan outlined above is an essential first step, it logically follows that you should have a personalized coaching plan for each salesperson on the team to help them become the best they can be. This personalized approach sends the signal that you're as committed to the individual's success as you are to the dealership.
5. Make sure you have the right people on your team.
The sad reality of almost any team is that some team members who simply should not be there. If that's the case with your team, it's best to replace them as soon as possible for the good of the team overall.
6. Spend some time with team members on the sales floor.
It's not enough to privately counsel team members in reaction to the raw sales numbers. The most effective way to coach salespeople is to observe them in action and give them feedback later in private.
7. Communicate individual expectations.
Many, if not most, salespeople are well aware of team and individual sales goals, but it's a good practice to let them know that you're aware of their progress too. Whether a person is ahead of schedule or behind, let them know that you know, and encourage them as appropriate.
8. Make sure team members understand the compensation plan.
Salaried and hourly employees know exactly how much they have coming in exchange for their efforts, and that certainty provides great comfort. Commissioned salespeople also need a degree of certainty. For them, that's a clear understanding of the compensation plan. It's up to you to ensure that they do.
9. Keep your team engaged.
Multiple studies indicate that highly engaged salespeople create highly engaged customers, resulting in great sales numbers and profit. As you engage with each of your salespeople and know how they're doing, their level of engagement with customers and prospects will grow.
10. Stay energized.
As the leader of your sales team, you set the tone for the group. If you're feeling energized and exude that energy, it will rub off on your team members. Whether it's a daily stint at the gym, a walk during your lunch or break, or some other activity, do whatever it takes to energize yourself.
In Conclusion:
After reviewing this checklist, evaluate yourself on how you're doing. If there are things you could improve upon, or things you're not doing at all, make the necessary adjustments. It will make you a better manager and leader, and improve the overall performance of your sales team.