Motivate, Manage, and Maximize Your Sales Team

If you're like me, not a natural sales person, you may find that managing a sales team can be a little trickier than expected.  Managing a sales team isn’t just about setting quotas and tracking numbers—it’s about leading, motivating, and creating a system that empowers your salespeople to succeed. A well-managed sales team is one of the most important assets to your business (as someone once said, "nothing happens without a sell").  Follow these steps if you aren't getting results from your sales efforts:

1. First, Hire the Right People

No amount of management will fix a bad hire. When recruiting salespeople, look beyond just their ability to sell—focus on:

• Coachability – Are they willing to learn and adapt?
• Resilience – Can they handle rejection and keep pushing forward?
• Work Ethic – Do they have the drive to make calls, follow up, and stay persistent?
• Cultural Fit – Do they align with your company’s values and sales philosophy?

A great salesperson with the wrong attitude can be toxic to your team. Hiring right from the start prevents future headaches.

2. Set Clear Expectations and Goals

Sales teams thrive when they know exactly what is expected of them. Vague targets or shifting priorities lead to confusion and lack of focus. Instead:

• Establish clear revenue goals, activity metrics (calls, meetings, proposals), and conversion targets.  These shouldn't change weekly...and the team shouldn't have too many.  Focus!
• Communicate these expectations in writing and reinforce them consistently.
• Use a structured sales process to ensure consistency across the team.

When salespeople understand what success looks like, they can work towards it with confidence.

3. Provide a Proven Sales Process

Top-performing sales teams don’t rely on “winging it.” They follow a structured sales process that ensures consistency and repeatability. Your job as a leader is to provide a framework that helps salespeople succeed.

A strong sales process should include:

• Lead qualification criteria – Who is an ideal customer?
• Defined sales stages – How does a prospect move through the pipeline?
• Follow-up strategies – How often should they reach out, and what messaging should they use?
• Objection handling – How should they address common pushbacks?
• Differentiators – A great strategy starts with "how we're different."

When salespeople follow a structured process, it reduces guesswork and improves performance...and put this process in writing!

4. Hold Your Team Accountable

Accountability is the glue that holds a sales team together. Without it, goals become suggestions, and performance suffers. To ensure accountability:

• Track key sales metrics – Calls made, meetings scheduled, deals closed.
• Have regular check-ins – Weekly one-on-ones and team meetings keep everyone aligned.
• Enforce consequences – If someone isn’t hitting their numbers, address it directly.

Accountability doesn’t mean micromanaging. It means setting clear expectations and ensuring they are met.

5. Motivate With the Right Incentives

Salespeople are typically driven by a combination of money, recognition, and growth opportunities. The right incentive structure can make or break performance. Consider:

• Compensation plans that reward success – Commission structures should encourage high performance without causing burnout.
• Non-monetary incentives – Public recognition, sales leaderboards, and competitions can drive motivation.  I love gamification!
• Career development – Salespeople who see a path for growth within the company are more likely to stay engaged.

A well-designed incentive plan keeps your team excited and focused on results.

6. Coach Instead of Just Managing

A great sales manager doesn’t just oversee—they coach. Coaching involves:

• Listening to sales calls and providing feedback
• Helping reps refine their pitch and objection-handling skills 
• Encouraging mindset shifts and motivation

The best sales teams continuously improve because their leaders invest in their development.

7. Create a Culture of Winning

Sales is competitive by nature, and a winning culture attracts high performers. You can build this culture by:

• Celebrating wins – Recognize and reward top performers.
• Encouraging competition – Sales contests and friendly rivalries can drive engagement.
• Fostering teamwork – Even though salespeople have individual quotas, a strong team dynamic leads to knowledge-sharing and support.

A culture that values success, learning, and persistence will keep your team engaged and performing at a high level.

8. Use Technology to Support, Not Replace, Salespeople

Salespeople hate admin work, and the right technology can make their jobs easier. Use tools that:

• Automate data entry and follow-ups.
• Provide insights into customer behavior and sales trends.
• Help streamline communication between sales, marketing, and leadership.

A good CRM system, automated email follow-ups, and sales analytics can improve efficiency without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

9. Eliminate Excuses and Foster Ownership

A strong sales leader doesn’t allow excuses to take root. If sales are down, it’s not just because “the market is tough” or “leads are bad.” The best managers:

• Encourage a solutions-based mindset.  Come with solutions...not just problems!
• Help salespeople take ownership of their results.
• Teach them to adapt and find new ways to close deals.

When salespeople take responsibility for their performance, they’re more likely to improve.

Conclusion

Managing salespeople effectively is about more than just pushing for numbers. It requires leadership, coaching, accountability, and the right systems in place. By hiring the right people, providing a proven process, motivating with the right incentives, and holding the team accountable, you can build a high-performing sales team that consistently drives revenue growth.

How are you currently managing your sales team? 

Ryan Giles