Dave Mattson

It's that time of year again when everyone is pondering their New Year's resolutions. Whether you're the type of person to let your resolutions slide after the first week or two of the New Year or the kind who embraces them wholeheartedly, accountability is the key to converting a resolution into an accomplishment. People set and achieve goals in different ways and, as a result, varying types of accountability come into play. One or more of the following might work for you, helping you to achieve a banner sales year.

The holidays are a time for festive songs, exchanging presents, feasts with friends and family— and the end-of-the-year crunch at work. Given the number of distractions facing employees this time of year, combined with the stress to finish the year well at work, it is no wonder that productivity can take a plunge. Rather than cracking down on employees and alienating them, or just giving the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year up as lost, there are a few tricks that employers can use to keep everyone focused and successful.

Sales managers recognize that a primary part of their jobs is to keep their sales teams productive. But, keep them happy! Is that really part of the job? Yes. Salespeople may be thankful for having a good job, but happiness is another dimension of the work experience—an important and often overlooked dimension. When jobs are scarce, people will put up with a lot to keep their jobs. But, as opportunities emerge, those who are not happy will be ready to move on to meet new challenges and find opportunities where they can make better use of their abilities…and be happy.

Imagine the following scenario.  After a few meetings with a prospect during which you examined his current situation and analyzed his needs and future goals, you developed and presented a four-step approach for what you believed to be the best fit solution to meeting his challenge.  The investment necessary to obtain and implement your solution is $12,800.  The prospect, while impressed with your solution, commented, "That's a bit more than we expected to spend.  We were hoping that we would be looking at something around $10,000."   What would you do?

A major frustration for salespeople is dealing with prospects that can't seem to make a decision.  Perhaps the biggest of those frustrations is struggling with prospects who indicate the desire to make a decision (and to do so by a certain date), but when the date rolls around, they invariably need more time. How many times have prospects told you, "I need more time to make a decision"?  Too many? In those situations, it's easy to blame the prospect for being indecisive, uncommitted, and a procrastinator. But, does the prospect deserve all of the blame?  Shouldn't some of it fall on your shoulders?  Perhaps, the major share? 

Are your salespeople on track for hitting their sales goals? If they are: Congratulations…to you and to them. If they are not: What are you going to do about it? The clock is ticking. How are you going to motivate your salespeople (or at least those whose numbers aren't up to par) to pick up the pace…to knuckle down and do what needs to be done before time runs out?

You stand in front of your sales team and announce a shift in workplace policies, or privately mention that a client wants to go in another direction with their account. Immediately, your salespeople cringe.

While motivation and discipline are on opposite ends of the management spectrum, managers need to provide both to lead a team successfully. Try implementing this balance using the following methods to build a stronger, more effective sales team.

Salespeople tend to be focused, driven, and almost single-minded when it comes to closing a sale. While this attitude can bring about great results, it can also prevent a salesperson from considering alternative ways to approach the sales relationship. Does the client prefer frequent phone calls to check in, or would your sales process run more smoothly with scheduled email follow ups? Take the time to re-evaluate your sales team's focus. Try these seven tips to drive new revenue and improve your sales game.