Sales leaders must “prioritize science” and transparency in their approach.

In the B2B marketplace, as in most sectors, sales and sales leadership differ significantly. Salespeople operate independently, accountable for their own outcomes, while the success of sales leaders hinges on the performance of their teams. If salespeople fail to sell, sales leaders also fail. To enhance their teams’ performance, sales managers can adopt scientific leadership strategies, integrating conventional motivational techniques with insights from behavioral science. This intelligent approach can empower sales managers to motivate and guide their teams effectively.

Behavioral science suggests that sales leaders should prioritize transparency not only within their team but also with colleagues, superiors, CEOs, and board members. Authenticity promotes engagement and boosts sales team performance.

Provide your sales team with “five Fs”: “focus, field, fundamentals, forecast, and fun.”

Sales leaders can leverage a research-based framework to aid salespeople in pursuing their most promising opportunities. This framework should be straightforward to comprehend, ensuring ease of understanding for sales team members

Prioritize high-potential prospects to optimize time efficiency

Salespeople, with limited time, must focus on activities yielding profits. Efficient time allocation is crucial for financial success. As a sales leader, guide them in targeting prospects effectively. For instance, a tech startup in Chicago realized the importance of sorting prospects. They identified US-based online retailers in "general merchandise," "apparel," "health," and "beauty categories" with yearly revenues exceeding $50 million as their prime targets through thorough research.

Walmart Temptation: A Costly Decision

Firms fitting this profile could handle the "purchase volume" needed for profitability. The startup avoided firms with over $1 billion in annual revenue, as they typically required time-consuming sales processes and demanded "super-unique," unprofitable installations. All prospects, except online electronics retailers, were expected to meet these criteria.

However, the startup broke its own rules when Walmart expressed interest. Despite Walmart's $500 billion size, 500 times larger than the startup's limit, its potential as a customer was too enticing to overlook. The startup agreed to explore the opportunity - a decision that proved costly.

Target Ideal Customers for Successful Sales

The small firm squandered months of its salespeople’s valuable time on countless phone calls and communications, along with numerous costly trips to Walmart’s California offices, all in a failed effort to meet Walmart’s demands. As a result of the substantial money spent trying to finalize a deal with Walmart, the tech startup ultimately had to shut down. These young entrepreneurs should have adhered to their strategy and declined Walmart’s initial interest by saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

To identify potential customers, it's important to thoroughly research the complete profile of your ideal customer. Define the ideal titles and authority levels of the executives you wish to contact at your selected companies and remain focused on the path your research suggests will yield the best results.

Sales Performance Is Driven by the Quality of Your Sales Team

Setting up your field sales organization requires significant investments in talent, sales tools, and support. To maximize your returns, it's essential to optimize these efforts. Your main goal should be to place the right people in the correct roles, in suitable locations, with the best tools and resources. Hiring skilled salespeople is vital. Ensure your recruiting practices reflect positively on your company. To gather essential information about potential hires, ask them 10 useful questions:

1. “Tell me your story” – This question tests how well candidates can create a narrative and introduce themselves, which are essential skills for any sales professional.
2. “Walk me through the last X years of your résumé. Why did you take the jobs you did? Why did you leave?” – This helps you see if candidates can discover important information, like whether a prospect will buy what they’re selling. A high number of past sales jobs may indicate that the recruit struggled to understand which jobs or leads would succeed.
3. If you suddenly had to give a talk to 500 people, “What subject would you know more about than anyone else in the room?” â€“ This question seeks passionate candidates who have deep knowledge about a specific topic. It’s important that they can bring this passion to your product.
4. “What’s your most significant career achievement?” – This reveals whether the candidate worked hard to reach a milestone. You want driven individuals on your team.
5. “From what you know about (our company) and this role, what excites you most about it?” – This checks if the candidate did their homework. You don’t want to hire someone who didn’t research your company before the interview.
6. “What…will be the greatest challenge you will face here?” â€“ You want to find candidates who are committed and understand what it takes to succeed.
7. “In your career, who has been your favorite manager? Why?” â€“ Since 70% of employee engagement relates to their managers, this helps ensure that new hires will fit well into your company culture.
8. “Tell me about a deal…you’re particularly proud of.” – This open-ended question allows you to see if candidates discuss deals that match your company’s sales approach.
9. “What is the value proposition of your current (or last) company?” – Can the candidate explain the company’s value proposition? This indicates whether they have a complete understanding of the products or services they would be selling.
10. “What…do you do to improve your selling skills?” – Sales candidates should show a desire for continual improvement. If they lack self-development efforts, they’re not the right fit.

Sellers should excel in sales basics like prospecting and presenting

Salespeople cannot accrue this crucial understanding overnight. Educating salespeople takes time and effort. Help them develop these foundational skills: 

•  Message: Salespeople must effectively convey pertinent information to prospects and customers.
• Prospect: Salespeople require clear targets for focus, motivating and inspiring prospects to transition into buyers.
• Qualify:  Your sales team needs to identify prospects who align with your organization and offerings.
• Present: Salespeople should use appropriate language and visuals to engage prospects and increase their readiness to make a purchase.
• Negotiate: Salespeople should maintain honesty and uphold price integrity, while also being capable of discussing discounts intelligently, with strategies approved by their sales manager.

To predict sales, focus on potential buyers, not just salespeople.

Effective sales leaders must possess certain special skills, one of which is 'psychic ability’. While most sales leaders aren't psychic, they should possess the capability to forecast future sales with reasonable accuracy. Teaching salespeople how to forecast their future sales accurately and report on their progress, whether good or bad, is crucial. However, many sales forecasts are inaccurate because salespeople often rely on tradition rather than science to develop them. 

• "Rethink…traditional forecast stages and milestones" – Sales professionals often rely on customer relationship management (CRM) systems for organization. While CRMs excel in tracking sales activities like discovery and presentation, they shouldn't be solely relied upon for sales forecasting. A CRM records what salespeople do, whereas sales forecasting predicts prospect behavior.
• "Rethink…traditional opportunity qualification" â€“ In B2B sales, prospects typically move through the "AIDA" stages: "attention, interest, desire, and action." To forecast sales effectively, salespeople must assess where prospects are on this spectrum and strategize to advance them further.
• "Celebrate the losses" – Recognize that not every sale will be closed successfully. Experienced sales professionals accept this reality and incorporate potential losses into their forecasting process.
• "Make 'commit' a dirty word" – Avoid putting undue pressure on salespeople by asking for their "commit" in public settings. Such inquiries often lead to overly optimistic forecasts as individuals aim to avoid embarrassment. Instead, discuss sales prospects privately and encourage them.
• "Rethink…traditional key performance indicators" â€“ Focus on four key metrics for effective sales planning and analysis: the number of sales opportunities, their monetary value, the typical win rate, and the average time to close deals. These indicators offer valuable insights into sales performance.

Enjoy each step of the sales process, finding positive pleasure throughout.

To motivate and inspire your sales team, they need to experience "intrinsic inspiration." This means treating them well, understanding their priorities, and ensuring their job is enjoyable.

Making sales jobs enjoyable could be "your most important job” " as a sales manager. Simplify and streamline every aspect of sales to enhance the enjoyment of your sales team. The smoother and simpler the process of selling your products or services, the more enjoyable your salespeople will find their roles.

Salespeople are more motivated by purpose than money, according to behavioral science.

Sales managers must understand the six main emotional factors that internally motivate their salespeople. "We are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines that think," states neuroscientist Antonio Damasio in his book Descartes' Error.

1. Consistency in Expectations:

People naturally seek predictability and certainty. To support your sales team effectively, maintain consistency in your actions and promises. Provide a reliable structure, ensuring your salespeople know what to expect from their jobs and career paths within the company. Uncertainty can hinder productivity and morale.

2.  Acknowledgment and Appreciation

 Recognizing and praising your team members' efforts is crucial. Create regular opportunities for feedback, coaching, and public appreciation. Constructive criticism should be given in private, while praise should be shared publicly. This acknowledgment promotes validation and enhances status among peers.

3. Clarify Purpose

Salespeople require more than just quotas; they need a sense of purpose in their work. Show them how their efforts contribute to solving customers' problems and making a meaningful difference. Demonstrating the significance of their roles can ignite motivation and drive within the team.

4. Allow Autonomy

 Micromanagement stifles motivation. Instead, empower your team by trusting their abilities and providing them with the autonomy they need. Offer resources and space for creative thinking, along with mental health breaks. Respecting individual preferences and peak performance times promotes a sense of independence.

 5. Develop Security and Belongingness

Building a sense of belonging within your team promotes security and mutual support. Encourage connectedness among team members and ensure they feel safe and valued. Acknowledge that sales management can be isolating, and encourage open communication among peers or mentors to share concerns and experiences.

6. Ensure Fair Treatment

 Salespeople are motivated when they feel they are being treated fairly in all aspects, not just financially. Ensure equitable treatment across all emotionally significant areas, including recognition, autonomy, and support. Fairness in these areas enhances motivation and promotes a positive work environment.