You Don't Have A Sales Team

Business leaders, let’s have some fun. You think you have a hunter, or a sales team of hunters ready to conquer the market, right? But when you take a closer look, those “hunters” are busy chasing... purchase orders, client birthdays, and “urgent” customer service issues.

What you have isn’t a squad of Spartans; it’s a band of bakers, farmers, and poets.

Channeling the Spartans

Remember the movie 300? (If not, go watch it—seriously, it’s a leadership classic). When the Spartans meet a larger army of Greek allies, the Greek leader complains about the Spartans' small force. He says that he brought more "soldiers" than the Spartans.  But Leonidas, the Spartan leader, calls them out:

“What is your profession?” he asks a Greek soldier.
“I’m a potter,” the man replies.
Another says, “I’m a sculptor.”
And yet another: “I’m a blacksmith.”

Then Leonidas turns to his Spartans and shouts, “Spartans! What is your profession?”
“Ahu! Ahu! Ahu!” they roar.  

Leonidas smirks. He’s made his point.

The Spartans weren’t just people who could hold a spear—they were soldiers, through and through. That was their sole focus.

Your “Sales Team” Isn’t Selling

Now let’s bring this to your business. If you ask your “salespeople,” what is your profession?, what would their answers really be?

• “I’m handling account renewals.”
• “I’m putting out fires with customer service.”
• “I’m tracking down a backorder for a client.”

And maybe, just maybe, someone will say, “I’m closing a deal.”

Why This Happens

It’s easy to assign the “sales” label to someone who occasionally talks to clients or gets involved in deals. But just like the baker with a spear isn’t a Spartan, someone who splits their time between selling and managing accounts isn’t a true hunter.

What’s the result? Your “sales team” gets bogged down with tasks that have nothing to do with hunting for new business. They’re not out there drumming up leads, building relationships, and closing deals. Instead, they’re stuck in procurement, admin, or babysitting current clients.  This means you're likely NOT hitting your revenue goals.

What You Need Are Spartans

If you want to grow your business, you need actual hunters—people whose sole focus is going after new business. Not part-time sellers. Not multitasking magicians. You need Spartans who live and breathe the hunt.

Here’s what true sales Spartans look like:

• They prospect relentlessly. Every day, they’re looking for new opportunities.
• They close deals. Their main goal is revenue, not smoothing over client drama.
• They’re laser-focused. They don’t get sidetracked by tasks that someone else could handle.

How to Transform Your Army

1. Divide and Conquer. Separate sales from account management, procurement, and other operational tasks. Give hunters the freedom to hunt.
2. Specialize Roles. Think about creating a team just for managing existing clients and another for generating new business.
3. Set Clear Metrics. Measure your salespeople by how many deals they close, not how many emails they answered or customer complaints they resolved.
4. Train and Equip. Just like Spartans trained for war, your salespeople need ongoing development and the right tools to succeed.

Spartans! What Is Your Profession?

Now, look at your team. Are they a mix of bakers, farmers, and blacksmiths trying to hold a spear? Or are they true sales Spartans who live for the hunt?

If your team isn’t roaring “Ahu! Ahu! Ahu!” when asked about their profession, it’s time to rethink how you structure and support your salesforce. Because in the battle for market share, you don’t want a group of multitaskers—you want warriors who know how to win.

So, business leaders: What is your team’s profession?

Let’s make sure the answer is loud, clear, and unstoppable: Sales!

Ryan Giles