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January 10, 2022
8 minutes
Handling a sales team can be quite challenging and demanding. It requires consistent efforts, from hiring the right personnel to ensuring excellence in their performance. This includes not only training and developing a highly-skilled sales team but also motivating them and holding them accountable. Sales accountability is a crucial part of management. People are motivated to work harder when they know they are responsible for the results.
But what exactly do we mean by sales accountability? And why is it necessary? How to increase accountability in a team? By the end of this article, you will have understood the meaning and importance of accountability in sales and learned the strategies to assemble a powerful sales squad.
Accountability in sales means that sales representatives are obligated to accept responsibility or to account for their actions. They realize the weightage of their performance and understand that they are answerable for any shortcomings. In addition to this, it also includes recognition of their achievements and successes. Thus, sales accountability is the technique managers use to hold the sales team accountable for their activities, as well as reward them for their efforts.
Learn how Squadstack enables sales team to be more productive and accountable.
Sales team accountability ensures efficiency, stability, and overall smooth functioning of the business. Accountable agents are self-reliant and ready to take ownership. Here is why it is important that your sales squad is accountable:
When there is accountability in a team, its efficiency, dedication, and commitment increase, resulting in quality of work.
Team accountability creates safe yet accountable spaces to turn to their co-worker or manager for help and provides assurance that they can rely on each other.
As an individual, agent accountability helps you keep a check on your values and actions, aligns them, and ensures that you are striving for betterment.
When an agent on your team is down, reminding them they have an impact on the workplace can boost their morale and provide a feeling of control and autonomy.
Accountable teams have clarity, honesty, and mutual understanding, which build productive and healthy relationships among the workforce.
Thus, sales accountability encourages your sales team to be at the top of their game.
Squadstack is a leading outsourcing platform with highly skilled and intelligent sales and operations teams. This platform features a sophisticated lead prioritization model that effectively matches leads with telecallers who are highly accountable and productive.
Whether you operate a telecalling agency or an in-house sales team, it is important to know how to manage sales agents. Wondering how to hold your sales team accountable? We have compiled a list of 5 things you can do to improve accountability.
The sales lead should provide the right tools and systems to help their team achieve their targets and step in to mitigate chokepoints in the funnel via training and coaching. Supervising the salespersons with proper guidance and support will significantly improve your salesperson's performance and ensure greater sales accountability in the future. If confronted with a problem, sit down with your sales representatives, analyze the root cause, and work together as a team.
A great sales manager sets achievable goals and expects measurable results. It is vital that you communicate the objectives to the team. Every short-term target that your agents make needs to be directed toward the end goal. Maintaining transparency ensures that the sales reps know that their actions have consequences, thereby enhancing team accountability.
In order to increase sales team accountability, it is essential to measure the actions of your sales reps. To ensure that your agents are accountable, you will need the right tool to track key data points and micro-steps in the funnel, such as -
Tools and software such as task completion checklists, attendance trackers, sales engagement software, etc can be used to monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and increase accountability. Whether private or public, these tracking tools are one of the ways to improve accountability.
Following up with your sales representatives based on their KPIs helps check their progress and eliminates any blockers to reach the end goal. Conducting recurring meetings for feedback plays a critical role in holding your sales reps accountable.
One-on-one meets can be used to discuss the achievements and shortcomings of your sales team. An effective 1:1 is when you listen to your agent’s problem, understand their situation and arrive at a viable solution.
When it comes to team accountability, you need to hold yourself accountable as a sales lead and part of the team. Being upfront and sincere with your responsibilities not only demonstrates good leadership but also teaches the sales team how to develop accountability. It is also essential to assure your sales squad that you have their back.
This will help to foster a cordial work environment based on mutual trust and respect.
Sales accountability is one of the primary ways to improve your business sales. Some more ways to improve sales accountability and performance are as follows:
Now you know how to improve your sales department. But we have a solution if you’re still struggling to scale up and manage a sales team.
Sales accountability refers to the responsibility and ownership taken by salespersons for their actions, tasks, and outcomes. It involves laying down clear goals, tracking progress, and being answerable for fulfilling sales targets and achieving business objectives.
To set expectations for a sales team, clearly define sales goals and targets, communicate them effectively to the team, and ensure they understand the desired results. Lay down specific guidelines, performance metrics, and timelines to guide their steps. Regularly monitor progress, provide feedback, and address any challenges or gaps to keep the team on track towards meeting expectations.
The best way to increase sales accountability is by establishing clear and measurable goals, providing regular performance feedback, and tracking the sales performance of the team. In addition, creating a supportive work environment and offering training and growth opportunities can further enhance sales accountability.
The four basic skills of a sales representative are prospecting, building rapport, effective communication, and accountability.
Many tools, such as CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software, help track sales activities and performance metrics. Sales dashboards and reporting tools provide real-time visibility into sales performance, thus enabling accountability. Goal-setting frameworks and performance management systems are also used to define standards and measure results.
