Our guide explores what sales readiness means, how it differs from sales enablement, and how to create a sales readiness program that drives measurable performance improvements.

What Is Sales Readiness?

Sales readiness refers to the continuous process of preparing sales reps and managers to effectively engage in customer-facing activities. It involves more than just knowing product details or completing training modules. It includes practical application, skills assessments, field coaching initiatives, and real-time access to the latest information. The goal is to assist sales with the ability to execute at every stage of the buyer’s journey.

Unlike reactive learning models, sales readiness emphasizes proactive, ongoing access to effective content, sales training programs, and coaching that mirrors the current competitive landscape. This includes analyzing sales performance metrics and adjusting based on real-time data.

We often work with early stage companies that have built something great but aren’t sure how to sell it. Sales readiness means being prepared to bring that product to market. It starts with building a team and giving them what they need: sales collateral, scripts, leads, pricing info. Then it’s about making sure each rep knows how to use those tools, understands pricing and approvals, and has the product knowledge to confidently sell. Without that foundation, even the best ideas won’t gain traction.

– Kyle Fletcher, CEO at Peak Sales Recruiting

Sales Readiness vs. Sales Enablement

While sales enablement focuses on content creation, content management, and providing sellers with resources, sales readiness ensures those resources are applied correctly and confidently. Enablement delivers the “what.” Readiness builds the “how.”

For example, a marketing team might create a campaign aimed at chief marketing officers (CMOs). Sales readiness ensures the reps can identify the CMO buyer, understand the CMO role, and tailor messaging to their specific needs and strategic priorities.

Why Is Sales Readiness a Key Growth Lever?

Sales readiness helps organizations respond to dynamic buyer expectations, evolving market trends, and expanding product lines. When reps are unprepared, it results in stalled deals and lost revenue. But a rigorous process that includes structured onboarding programs, continuous improvement, and video assessments bridges skill gaps and drives consistent performance.

Key benefits of a sales readiness strategy include:

• Faster time to productivity: New hires become sales-ready more quickly through onboarding programs that include product knowledge, customer stories, and scenario-based learning.
• Improved buyer experience: Reps are better equipped to guide executive buyers through a complex buying journey.
• Greater alignment with marketing efforts: Shared data and messaging between sales and marketing enhances effectiveness.
• Ongoing adaptability: Teams stay current on the latest industry trends, cloud-computing services, and buyer needs.

5 Core Components of a Sales Readiness Strategy

1. Structured Onboarding Program

A comprehensive onboarding process is the foundation of sales readiness. It should go beyond policy walkthroughs and include:

• Product demos and applications
• Role-specific training modules
• Real-world scenarios and practical tips
• Skills assessments and individual strengths mapping

2. Sales Training Programs

Effective training programs must be:

• Role-specific
• Scenario-based
• Reinforced with field coaching initiatives and video assessments
• Measured using sales performance metrics

3. Coaching and Mentorship

Sales leaders and former CMOs should provide personalized coaching based on data-driven insights and team members’ performance. A top-down approach ensures everyone is aligned toward a common goal: long-term success.

4. Tools and Technology

Leverage platforms that integrate with your customer relationship management (CRM) system to track readiness and deliver ongoing training. This includes web conference tools for roleplays, real-time coaching, and access to the latest information on industry trends and ideal customer profiles.

5. Sales Kickoff and Reinforcement

Use your annual sales kickoff as a launchpad for readiness initiatives. Reinforce concepts throughout the year with microlearning, video assessments, and regular check-ins. Without regular reinforcement, even the best sales kickoffs will lose their impact. Keep training top of mind with ongoing, actionable follow-ups.

How to Measure Sales Readiness

To evaluate the success of your sales readiness program, measure the following:

• Quota attainment
• Deal progression and conversion rates
• Time to ramp
• Application of product knowledge in live conversations
• Feedback from executive buyers and CMO buyers

Regularly analyze sales performance metrics and assess skill development to optimize results. Use these insights to refine training modules, content, and your overall learning model.

Sales Readiness in the Modern Enterprise

Sales readiness is not optional. From financial services to software companies, organizations involved in complex enterprise sales must be prepared to meet executive buyers with relevance and confidence.

A recent example from a software company that serves the marketing analytics market revealed the cost of poor readiness. Without proper training, reps failed to articulate the value of the company’s cloud-computing services to chief information officers (CIOs), resulting in lost deals and diminished trust.

And it’s not just larger enterprises that face this risk. For early stage companies with a great new product but no clear path to market, sales readiness is just as essential. Without the right team, tools, and preparation, even innovative offerings can fail to reach the right buyers.

This lost revenue underscores the need for:

• The right talent and partner
• Practical, ongoing training
• A shift from the status quo, reactive learning

The Bottom Line: Make Sales Readiness a Priority

Sales readiness is not a one-time event. It is a continuous process designed to help salespeople with the tools, confidence, and skill to reach their full potential. From the annual sales kickoff to daily field coaching, every touchpoint should reinforce learning and performance. By aligning sales, marketing, and leadership under a proactive approach to readiness, your team can uncover new opportunities, better serve customers, and win in an increasingly competitive landscape.

For more practical sales insights, visit The Peak Blog.

But with countless “innovative” training techniques flooding the landscape, figuring out what really works can be a challenge. How do you design training that empowers your team to excel without wasting time on trendy but ineffective trends?

In this blog, we’ll explore tried-and-tested sales training techniques that blend innovation with proven strategies. Whether you’re looking to sharpen the skills of A-players or transform B-players into top performers, these techniques will help you develop a training program that drives sustained success.

If you’re ready to hire sales talent who will maximize your training investment and drive real results, contact Peak Sales Recruiting today.

The Impact of Sales Training on Team Performance

It should go without saying that any professional team needs training to understand the product and the role expected of them. But great sales training goes beyond this, fostering an environment of confidence, motivation, and a desire for personal and professional growth. 

Did you know that organizations investing in effective sales training achieve 18.4% higher win rates compared to those without structured training programs? With our list of innovative training methods, training sales reps to handle any situation has never been easier (or more enjoyable). From learning about product development to developing practical skills and sales techniques such as SPIN, a great sales training course should cover so much more than a basic sales pitch.

When implementing these effective strategies used by high-performing sales teams, you’ll be creating a team of confident new team members who don’t just retain the information you provided them at induction but can actively implement different selling techniques and key sales concepts to increase your bottom line and become better salespeople. 

So, if you’re ready to transform your sales team into top-tier sales professionals, check out our list of the most effective strategies, techniques, and industry trends to add to your sales training process today.

Top 14 Sales Training Methods to Enhance Team Performance

1.  Try Role Playing 

Role-playing can feel a little cheesy sometimes, but it’s a tried-and-tested method for ensuring a sales team understands the job required of them. Set up two chairs back-to-back so the trainee can’t respond to visual cues, then either take on the role of customer yourself or have another member of the team take on this role. These games can help improve your sales team’s improv skills and allow them to practice their knowledge of your company/product.

If you want to take role-playing exercises to the next level, it can be incredibly valuable to switch up the roles, too. Try having the trainee play the customer and the sales manager act as the rep, answering the “customer’s” questions and resolving their objections. Get the trainee to ask harder and harder questions and try to put the sales manager on the spot to provide an excellent demonstration of how the best sales talent deal in stressful situations – and be sure to save time at the end to discuss what went well and/or ways the “call” could have gone better.

2.  Focus on Individual Skills

Being a good sales representative isn’t about any one skill. So, as part of your training program, it can be a good idea to break down the learning experience to look at each of the skills a top-performing sales representative needs. For example, one day, you could work on active listening skills, the next on soft skills, the next on script development, ethical selling practices, time management, and so on. And don’t forget the more practical elements: every sales professional working for your company should know the product features backwards and upside-down, including being knowledgable about the product development and any new products coming to market.

Take a look at our article on the weaknesses of a salesperson and sales training ideas to skyrocket your team’s performance for more suggestions on how you could break down your training to cover specific skills/areas of expertise.

3.  Listen to Call Recordings and Case Studies

If you want your team to learn from the best, try compiling a list of the best sales calls your team has taken over the years, then compare these with calls that didn’t go so well. Afterward, have the group discuss/identify common themes and key sales concepts and break these into actionable steps. This could be done together as a group, or each trainee could work on a checklist individually to bring together at the end.

If your sales department isn’t solely telephone-based, include case studies and success stories that happened face-to-face. Again, you could use role-playing to bring the stories to life and get your sales team involved in a more interactive way.

This can also be a really useful opportunity to practice some targeted training: if there’s a sales concept your team is struggling with, try to find an example of one of your senior salespeople dealing with it well. Have the team listen to the call or follow the case study, then work as a group to dissect what went on and how they can use those same strategies themselves. 

4.  Start with Shadowing

An oldie but a goodie! Pair up your new talent with your best sales talent and have them shadow to see first-hand how the experienced members of the team handle everyday sales. This could involve them listening in to live sales calls, learning on-the-job virtual selling skills, following your existing sales professionals on the sales floor, and even learning from disappointments or lost sales (remember, these can be just as valuable a learning experience as a successful sale). Be sure to allow some time after the interaction for questions and to discuss any key concepts or skills the sales professional demonstrated.

5.  Don’t Overlook New Talent

Although it’s a good idea to pair your sales trainees with the most experienced staff members, don’t underestimate the value new blood can bring to the table. Whether your new rep has 10 years of experience or this is their first sales position, you might be surprised by what insights, skills, and techniques they already have that your existing team could learn from.

6. Get Ready for Objections

Every salesperson will come up against objections in their work. But how do you train them to deal with objections? While some will have a natural flare for objection handling, one great sales technique to share with your team is reframing: turning a perceived problem into an opportunity. For example, if a customer tells you the timing is wrong, you could point out to them how waiting until the timing feels right might be too late, and it’s always better to be prepared.

Some good old role-playing is a great way to teach reframing and objection handling. Speak to your existing sales team to uncover the most common objections your real customers have and get your trainees to isolate and resolve the objection. Remember, the key to a good reframing process is threefold: 

1. Care: Show the customer you understand their objection and care about resolving it for them.
2. Assess: Is this the customer’s true objection? What’s the question they’re actually trying to ask?
3. Reframe: Show them why their perceived problem isn’t a problem at all and take the opportunity to teach them more about what you’re offering. 

Don’t forget to switch up the role-playing and have the sales manager act as the rep and the trainee be the customer to demonstrate how it could be done and inspire the team.

At the end of the exercises, have the team create a ‘cheat sheet’ of common objections and effective resolutions/reframes that they can use on live calls later. You may want to have some answers prepared already that can be added as well.

7. Give it a SPIN 

SPIN selling is renowned as one of the oldest and best sales methodologies and can be invaluable for closing complex sales. Remember, when training your sales department on SPIN selling, it’s all about asking the right questions at the right time: 

Once your new starters have learned the algorithm, a great sales training technique to help them solidify the SPIN system would be to go through each letter, trying to come up with as many relevant questions as possible. Remember, these questions shouldn’t be anything you can easily find online, so follow up this exercise with some detective games:

Have your trainees pick a business owner to target and write a list of 50 SPIN questions. Then, have them research the person online for 20 minutes. For every question they can answer online, they lose a point. This will help them digest the idea that SPIN questions should be genuinely insightful and encourage them to research their prospects before getting in touch.

8.  Use the Carrot

Generally, people with a passion for sales are very incentive-oriented. In other words, they love a reward for a job well done! Keep the motivation high for new starters and experienced workers alike with boosts in commission and competitions based on KPIs and other sales metrics throughout the year. For example, you could increase the commission for the team with the highest sales or another target you want to focus on.

Commission, flexitime, physical prizes, holidays, etc., are great incentives for motivating your dream sales team. For more inspiration, take a look at our list of 20 sales contests to inspire peak performance from your team.

9.  Make it Personal and Ongoing

Once you’ve released your new sales rep onto the floor, it’s important to remember that this shouldn’t be the end of their training. When most sales organizations drop the ball after the first two weeks of sales training, top performers invest in their teams’ ongoing professional and personal development and don’t expect new hires to thrive with minimum ongoing support.

Scheduling regular 1:1 meetings and team huddles is a great way to reinforce the techniques learned in training once reps start making calls, handling objections, and facing real-world challenges. Review specific obstacles they’ve faced and try re-enacting scenarios to help develop tailored solutions and build stronger, more capable sales reps.

You could even take your team’s ongoing development a step further by offering them the chance to participate in extra studies to achieve certifications. Our list of the best sales training topics makes a great starting point on where you could offer extra learning opportunities.

Remember, effective sales training isn’t about doing everything upfront; it’s about making development a permanent part of the team’s culture.

10.  Keep an Eye on The Bigger Picture

A sales representative will always do better if they understand the bigger picture, rather than taking a narrow view of their sales metrics and KPIs independently of the rest of the company. Have your new starter shadow experts in different departments of your company so they can see how the wider business works. This can also help deepen the rep’s understanding of the product and what pain points it solves, making it much easier for them to close that sale when the time comes!

11.  Train with Thought Leaders – and Let Your Team Learn from The Best.

Whether it’s an online webinar or an in-person conference, offering your team the chance to learn from and mingle with the best in the business is an invaluable experience. You could offer tickets or arrange access to events being hosted by others, or even schedule industry experts to come and talk to your team yourself. Encourage anyone attending out-of-office seminars or programs to bring back what they’ve learned to ensure the whole company can value from the experience and give the attendees a chance to solidify what they’ve learned.

Similarly, you could arrange access to an online sales training course or advanced sales training courses to allow your team to develop and practice their skills independently. Getting your team to learn online could boost their virtual selling skills, too, as they get used to handling online situations and utilizing your digital sales tools.

12.   Consider Micro-Training

Studies have found that long isn’t always better for learning. Bite-sized training, also known as micro-training, aligns better with our brain’s natural preferences, allowing us to retain more information in the long run.

So, when planning your company’s sales training program, consider ditching the hour-long lectures and focus instead on short, digestible spurts of teaching interspaced with games and other interactive exercises to keep trainees engaged (try these out-of-the-box ideas for some inspiration). After all, engagement is just education plus entertainment. So keep it short and fun!

13.   Assign Mentors

According to Aberdeen, only around 44% of organizations reinforce their sales training program with regular refreshers and follow-ups. However, handling an entire sales force can be difficult when providing personalized, ongoing support. Ensure all questions can be handled quickly and efficiently by assigning mentors to your new starters to provide guidance. Have your mentors produce summaries that can be used to guide future training techniques or show where the team needs a refresher.

Obviously, if you’ve only got a small sales team, this might be unnecessary or even impractical to do for every team member. But you can still assign a few senior salespeople to act as the ‘go-to’ for small, everyday questions to help ensure the management team is available for the bigger issues. The important thing here is that your new salespeople know where to turn for some extra support and guidance, even once they’re out of training and released onto the sales floor.

14.   Provide CONSTRUCTIVE Criticism

It’s been said that making mistakes is the best way to learn. But just being told you’re doing something badly is not only unhelpful, it’s demoralizing. So, remember to be as detailed and constructive as possible when giving feedback to old and new sales team members alike. We all have the potential to turn mistakes into lessons, so don’t let this learning opportunity pass you by.

The Bottom Line

Finding the right sales training techniques can be challenging. But keeping lessons short, varied, and interactive with plenty of space for constructive feedback and discussions is a great way to ensure your trainees stay engaged. Remember, learning is never done, so any sales manager should be prepared to be in it for the long run if you want to retain top talent.

For a deeper dive into the world of sales training and to explore additional resources, check out our latest blog posts.

#1 Increased Productivity

A report by Aon Consulting showed that some organizations have seen productivity gains of up to 43% after adopting virtual teams. 

#2 Ease of Scaling Through Hybrid Sales Reps

Companies who take a remote or remote-hybrid approach to their sales teams expand their hiring pool, can more easily build a talent bench, and have a much easier time scaling their sales teams. 

#3 Ability to Hire Better Talent

A study of 80 global software teams indicated that remote teams can outperform those that share an office (if they’re well-managed). 

#4 Savings on Office Costs

While some cost is associated with hybrid sales reps’ offices, they tend to be much lower than the overhead from occupying large office buildings. A distributed workforce allows employers to use their office spaces more creatively and efficiently. 

Is it time to scale your hybrid sales team? Contact us to tap into our worldwide network of sales experts today.

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• About
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Kyle Fletcher

Latest posts by Kyle Fletcher (see all)

• Employee Referral Programs: Is Your Next Sales Rep Just One Connection Away? – December 27, 2023
• Don’t Make These 7 Offer Stage Mistakes – December 19, 2023
• Mastering Sales Management: 8 Sales Leadership Qualities Required for Success – December 15, 2023

1. Start the Onboarding Process Before Their First Day

Implement a pre-hire program to keep your candidate motivated and engaged from the time the offer is accepted until their first workday.

2. Be Clear and Consistent

Provide your new team member with a welcome package during onboarding that includes branded gifts and a welcome letter outlining what to expect in the coming days, weeks, and months. 

3. Establish a Formal Mentoring Program

Pair each new hire with a proven mentor who will introduce them to the team, verify the new hire’s understanding of job objectives, and check in regularly on their integration process. 

4. Define Success

Ensure new hires understand your entire sales cycle and how customer success is defined for specific products or services. 

5. Create a Sales Playbook

Include essential product knowledge, your preferred selling approaches, and instructions for key selling strategies that the organization’s top salespeople use that your new hire can adopt to win accounts.

6. Keep Tech Streamlined

Prioritize the tools and technologies that will impact your team most so that new hires aren’t overwhelmed. Every sales force needs a CRM, email automation, and business development.

A clear hiring strategy will keep you from rushing into a hire that isn’t a great fit for your goals. We’d love to help you create and stick to yours. Contact us today to get started. 

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Brent Thomson

Co-Founder at Peak Sales Recruiting

Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.

Latest posts by Brent Thomson (see all)

• How to Hire Salespeople Outside Your Industry – December 20, 2023
• 10 Recruiter Skills You Can Leverage in Your Job Search – December 18, 2023
• How to Interview Sales Managers and Find Well-Rounded Talent – December 14, 2023

#1 What are our revenue targets?

Consider how you want your new hires to contribute to your revenue goals. What kind of salespeople will you need to do that? Farmers, hunters, or challengers? Inside or outside salespeople?

#2 What customer type are we targeting?

Your sales strategy should identify strengths and skills that make a candidate stand out. Hire those who have what it takes to connect with your customers authentically. 

#3 What culture do we want to create in our sales team? 

Whether you need an aggressive and competitive team or a collaborative and relationship-oriented one, knowing the culture you’re creating is key to a successful sales hiring strategy.

#4 What does sales success mean to us?

Define to align. Explore your explanation of sales success so that when your candidates share theirs, you can easily check for motivational alignment. 

#5 What does our sales organizational structure look like?

Consider team fit and the role you need to hire to maximize your current team and expand your sales results. 

A clear hiring strategy will keep you from rushing into a hire that isn’t a great fit for your goals. We’d love to help you create and stick to yours. Contact us today to get started. 

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Eliot Burdett

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

• 31 Must-Know Sales Follow-Up Statistics for 2024 Success – December 21, 2023
• 7 Success Characteristics That Define Top Performers – December 19, 2023
• 5 Reasons Your Top Employees Quit (Stop Doing This to Stop Them Leaving) – December 14, 2023

In this blog, we’re exploring eleven distinct sales team structure models. We’re also sharing the insights we’ve gathered from working with thousands of companies to build and grow their sales teams. You’ll find everything you need to know to get familiar with high-performance sales team structure models to align your team with your goals. 

Once you’ve found the right structure, we’ll help you find the right people. Contact Peak Sales Recruiting to build a sales team that delivers.

5 Key Factors to Consider When Deciding Which Sales Organizational Structure Is Right for Your Sales Team 

1. Industry: We have seen some startups find success with inside sales while others lean towards outside sales. Tailor your sales approach to the unique demands of your industry. 
2. Budget: Your budget directly impacts the size of your sales team and the resources available to them. Understand your financial constraints and work your sales team structure around them.
3. Company Size: Adjust the complexity of your sales organizational structures to make the most efficient use of your sales team. Smaller organizations may benefit from simpler structures. Larger organizations might require more specialized structures.
4. Sales Goals: B2B companies should remember that their specific sales goals and target audiences will require unique sales strategies and team structures. Choose the structure that will make achieving your goals as effortless as possible. 
5. Organizational Structure: Evaluate how your sales team integrates into the overall organizational framework and existing hierarchies. 

11 Different Types of Sales Team Organizational Structure Models

1. Island Sales Team Structures

In industries where a high level of intimacy and familiarity would benefit each customer, the island sales team’s organizational structure provides dedicated attention and a strong sense of accountability. 

In this sales team structure, each sales representative takes on the entire sales process for each client — from prospecting to closing, onboarding, and beyond. What the island sales team structure lacks in collaboration, it makes up for in creativity. Flexibility and motivational autonomy are also features of the island structure. 

2. Assembly Line Sales Team Structures

If your sales team requires individuals to develop extensive expertise and experience in their respective roles, an assembly line sales team structure could be a fantastic fit for your company. If your company has a clear B2B sales plan, this approach can help your sales process. 

Done well, the rigidity of this structure can help streamline the sales process and ensure that clients are moved from one phase in the sales process to the next. Troubleshooting and improving sales outcomes in this structure can be more accessible in this structure since each sales professional has such clearly outlined responsibilities. 

3. Pod Sales Team Structures

Pod sales team structures are known for their collaborative and agile nature. Each pod in a sales team operates autonomously and cross-functionally. Within a pod, you’ll typically find several types of sales professionals, such as representatives, marketing specialists, and customer success experts. This structure works well when you need groups dedicated to specific goals, customer types, or products and services. This structure is also an excellent pick for markets that endure a lot of change, as the team can respond quickly, amplify creative solutions, and follow a customer journey from beginning to end.

4. Outside Sales Team Structures

The outside sales team structure is particularly effective in B2B sales where face-to-face interactions are required to close sales. Outside sales teams often travel to client offices for meetings. SaaS sales that require on-site demonstrations or long sales cycles that demand a high-touch challenger approach might benefit from the personal relationship building that an outside sales team structure fosters. In this structure, trust is vital to success. 

5. Inside Sales Team Structures

An inside sales team is an effective model for industries where face-to-face sales are unnecessary. They are also good for companies who want to constrain costs by eliminating travel and on-site sales. Inside sales teams require more digital-savvy sales talent than the outside sales team structure, as this sales model leverages technology and uses phone calls, video conferencing, and email to build meaningful and profitable client relationships. 

6. Geographical Sales Team Structures

Where many sales teams focus on roles and goals to determine their team structure, a geographical sales team structure, also known as a territory organizational structure, divides salespeople regionally. This allows salespeople to learn the local industry and culture intimately. 

Local expertise is particularly important when a product or service could be used differently in different regions. Companies that use a geographical sales team structure are also able to track results by location easily and determine which regions are most profitable. 

7. Product or Service-Specific Sales Team Structures

Communicating the value of a service or a product is always a crucial component of sales, but in a product or service-specific sales team, value gets an added emphasis. Salespeople in this structure are each dedicated to deeply learning a specific product or service so that they are experts in the nuances of that sales process. If your company has a wide range of offerings, this structure may be highly beneficial. 

8. Key Account Sales Team Structures

Some companies emphasize a select group of high-value customers or clients in their sales process. If this is your organization, your sales team’s organizational structure should reflect the priority status of these relationships. A key account executive team focuses on managing and growing these accounts. 

9. Hunter-Farmer Sales Team Structures

Common in B2B sales, the hunter-farmer sales team assigns salespeople with unique sales talent, skills, and approaches to sales into respective roles. Hunter sales types handle more lead generation, cold leads, and sales that require an aggressive approach, while the farmer sales types nurture very warm leads, onboard new clients, and upsell current clients. This balance keeps new clients coming in and existing business growing. 

10. Matrix Sales Team Structures

If your company is a large organization with complex product lines, a matrix sales team could be a great fit. In a matrix organizational structure, salespeople report to both a functional sales manager and a product or geography-specific manager. This dual reporting process keeps authority within a hierarchical structure and relies less on the employee’s autonomous decision-making abilities. 

11. Specialized Sales Team Structures

When tracking very specific metrics is important to an organization, the specialized sales team structure excels. In this organizational structure model, sales teams are divided based on roles. This increases efficiency, leading to high-performing sales teams since, for example, everyone in lead generation is focused only on their internal goals and what they contribute to them. Specialized salespeople can focus better when they are not distracted by sales goals they can’t control.

5 Most Common Team Structure Mistakes Sales Managers Make 

1. Taking a One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Creating your sales team structure isn’t as simple as picking one model and running with it. Any sales team structure should be thoroughly designed and tailored to your company’s unique needs and goals.
2. Ignoring Market Changes: When changes in your industry or the market you’re selling occur, some companies will get ahead while others fall behind. Failing to adapt your structure will leave you playing catch up. 
3. Convoluting Communication: Team roles, responsibilities, and expectations are often left to ‘assuming’ instead of being clearly outlined, communicated, and understood by team members. 
4. Overcomplicating Team Structure: Complex structures can hinder efficiency and create confusion. As you customize your team structure, keep simplicity in mind.
5. Underutilizing Technology: Failing to leverage technology and data analytics leads to an uninformed and under-optimized structure. 

8 Ways to Ensure a Successful Sales Team Structure

High-performing sales teams are positioned for success long before their achievements result in tangible outcomes. To help your team succeed and grow, remember these tips when combining sales structures to create your own model. 

1. Set Clear Objectives for Your Team: When you know what you’re trying to accomplish, clarity on your sales organizational structures will emerge. And no matter the structure you decide on, clear, measurable objectives will help you keep your team focused.
2. Invest in Team Training: When you decide on the structure of your sales team, look for opportunities to grow the sales skills of your team that are most relevant to your structure. For example, training for an outside sales team could include public speaking and relationship building.
3. Use Technology to Increase Efficiency: Leverage CRM and sales enablement tools to streamline your chosen sales organizational structures and improve your processes. 
4. Measure and Analyze: Define your KPIs and gather data on these regularly. Taking note of your team’s performance not only shows areas for improvement but it also can signal a need for a structural reevaluation.
5. Regularly Review and Adjust Your Structure: As market conditions and company needs change over time, you’ll want to remain agile in your sales structure. Assess your team on a regular basis and be prepared to pivot. 
6. Foster a Collaborative Culture: A successful sales team structure maintains a healthy balance of friendly competition and collaboration. Pay attention to ways you can make information-sharing easier within your team. 
7. Provide Ongoing Feedback for Ongoing Improvement: It is the sales manager or sales leader’s job to take in the big picture and address gaps in the sales team. Providing regular feedback can keep your sales organizational structures cohesive while fostering growth.
8. Incentivize and Motivate Your Team: Get to know what motivates and inspires your team. Use this insight to customize and implement an effective compensation and incentive plan. 

Whether you’re looking to add structure to your sales team or just need to fill specific roles within your structure, we’d love to help. Contact us today to gain access to our global network of top talent and get your sales team success journey started.   

• About
• Latest Posts

Eliot Burdett

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

• 31 Must-Know Sales Follow-Up Statistics for 2024 Success – December 21, 2023
• 7 Success Characteristics That Define Top Performers – December 19, 2023
• 5 Reasons Your Top Employees Quit (Stop Doing This to Stop Them Leaving) – December 14, 2023

Two Simple Ways to Speed Up Your Onboarding Process

#1 Immerse new hires in your key product or service.

Do this before any other training takes place. When your new sales reps deeply understand what they’ll be selling, they can integrate the rest of their into their product knowledge. If you start with sales skills instead of this immersion, it’s more challenging for employees to find their flow. 

#2 Engage your sales reps with quick wins. 

Most people who become sales reps do so because they’re highly motivated and thrive on a system of rewards. They don’t want to spend months in training without any opportunity to perform. Providing lower-stakes opportunities for them to ‘win’ will pay off in higher engagement and prime them for closing enterprise sales deals down the road. 

Ready to onboard your next sales superstar? Contact us today. We’d love to help.

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Ryan Thornton

Latest posts by Ryan Thornton (see all)

• 3 Ways Your Employees Will Sabotage Hitting Year End Targets – December 27, 2023
• 7 Ways to Hit Your Year End Target With Ease – December 20, 2023
• How to Handle Counter Offers — and Win Top Talent – December 18, 2023

Salespeople and managers can use online training platforms to stand out from competitors. On average, companies who invest one dollar on sales training receive about $4.53 back in revenue. To boost revenue and sales performance, it’s crucial to use SaaS sales training programs and courses. 

→ Want to deepen your understanding of SaaS Sales? You can find more information on SaaS Sales and the SaaS Sales Process on our website.

What is the Importance of a SaaS Sales Training Program?

SaaS sales training programs are helpful. Selling software, especially cloud-based solutions, is different from selling traditional products or services. The SaaS sale is intangible in nature and the subscription-based pricing model is unique.

A well-designed SaaS Sales training program is instrumental in equipping sales professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the competitive SaaS market. Improving performance can help a SaaS company succeed by increasing sales and satisfying customers.

Who Can Benefit from a SaaS Sales Training Program?

SaaS sales training programs are versatile and can be tailored to suit the needs of various individuals involved in the SaaS ecosystem. The goal of a SaaS sales training program is to enhance the understanding of SaaS products, sales processes, and customer engagement to drive business growth and success. There are other business professionals who could benefit from SaaS sales training, not just sales reps and managers. These individuals are: 

• Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders
• Investors and Venture Capitalists
• Consultants and Advisors
• Marketing Teams
• Customer Success and Support Teams
• Product Managers and Developers
• Human Resources

In today’s interconnected business environment, where cross-functional collaboration and a customer-centric approach are highly valued, SaaS sales training can be a valuable investment for a wide range of employees. It helps create a more informed, aligned, and effective workforce, contributing to the success of the SaaS company as a whole.

What to Look For in a SaaS Sales Training Program?

Say you decide to pursue one of the SaaS sales training listed in this article. Or maybe you find a new training program all together. When choosing SaaS sales training programs, consider these important factors to find the right one. Here’s a checklist of what to look for:

→ Superior Content Quality: Assess the quality of the training content. Look for programs that offer up-to-date materials, such as real-life examples and hands-on activities.

→ Instructors’ Expertise: Find out who the instructors or facilitators are. Instructors should have expertise in SaaS sales or related fields. They should also have experience teaching or coaching sales.

→ Options for Customization: Find out if the program can be adjusted to meet your specific or organizational needs. Customization allows for a more targeted learning experience.

→ Ongoing Support: Determine if the program offers post-training support or resources. Ongoing support can be valuable for reinforcing learning and addressing specific challenges.

→ Industry Focus: Consider whether the program is tailored to the SaaS industry, as the sales dynamics in SaaS can be unique compared to other sectors. Industry-specific knowledge is beneficial.

→ Integration of Technology and Tools: Check if the program uses modern sales technologies and tools like CRM systems and sales analytics platforms. They can improve the learning experience.

Consider these factors. They will help you choose a SaaS sales training program that aligns with your goals. Ultimately, a training program will enhance your sales skills and contribute to your success in the SaaS industry.

The 3 Best Virtual SaaS Sales Training Programs & Courses

Before enrolling in any program, it’s essential to research each one to ensure it aligns with your specific goals and needs. Check for reviews, testimonials, and recent course offerings to determine their relevance and reputation. Here are 3 virtual training courses Peak deems to be beneficial. 

1. Sandler

Sandler is one of the leading platforms for sales training in the world. The Sandler team has 50+ years of experience. They offer comprehensive material to elevate your sales. Sandler offers a combination of online sessions, self-guided materials, and support tools to elevate your sales results and relationships. These materials are typically delivered in the following formats:

• Webinars
• White Papers 
• Articles/Books
• Podcast
• Events
• E-books
• Personal Advisors

One of the unique features of the Sandler+ online training platform is the ability to choose your delivery method. Select your content from a variety of different virtual materials to ensure you gain the most of your training. 

Sandler’s top priority is personalized learning. This ensures all users get the training they need to improve sales. This customized approach differentiates Sandler from other online training programs. Because of this personalization, Sandler is a great place for non-sales people such as marketing professionals or entrepreneurs to learn about SaaS sales. 

Despite its personalization and accessibility for all job types, Sandler is the gold star for sales training. Whether you’re a sales professional starting out, or a seasoned pro, ensure you take the time to train online with Sandler. Having a Sandler training certification on your resume is standard for many hiring managers. 

The cost to attend Sandler training ranges and so does the time commitment. Some of Sandler’s quicker certifications can take a mere 12 hours while other courses can be a year long. The cost often reflects the length of the course and can range from $1,000-$5,000 or more. If the cost of attending a full online course is too expensive consider downloading some of their white papers or e-books. For a lower cost you will be able to access some of the unique expertise Sandler has to offer. Visit their website to learn more.

2. Sales Hacker (GTMnow)

Sales Hacker is known for its virtual sales training programs, including those focused on SaaS sales. Their platform primarily includes an online blog and virtual community of sales professions to promote education and career acceleration. They also host webinars and virtual events. Sales Hacker was acquired by the number one sales engagement platform, GTMnow, in 2023. Sales Hacker has become one of the leading destinations for sales professionals to stay up-to-date on the latest sales trends. 

One of Sales Hacker’s focuses is the creation of an online sales community. Their extensive network of over 166,000 sales professionals and 500 contributing authors provides a trusted space for sales professions to learn and grow together. In addition to their educational resources and events, Sales Hacker also provides a place for community engagement. These community engagement features include discussion threads, direct messaging, and personalized channels. 

Since Sales Hacker has such a large network of contributors and educators you can find information on highly specialized topics, in addition to more general inquiries. Subscribing to the Sales Hacker newsletter is free and allows users to stay up to date with sales trends. Some webinars and virtual events offered through Sales Hacker come at an additional cost. These costs vary depending on the program offered.

Due to the low to no price point on Sales Hackers material, it is a no brainer for sales representatives everywhere to subscribe. The Sales Hacker platform is also a great way for individuals in other professions (marketing, HR, support teams) to learn about the nuances of SaaS sales without spending money.

3. SaaS Sales Academy 

The SaaS Sales Academy specializes in SaaS sales training. They offer virtual programs designed to enhance the skills of sales professionals in the SaaS industry. SaaS Sales Academy targets founders of SaaS sales startups specifically, however, there is still value in their content for sales representatives. SaaS founders who use the services of the SaaS Sales Academy are likely to see a 206% revenue increase in the first 6 months.

SaaS Sales academy delivers their content through growth playbooks and online programs. SaaS sales founders and professionals can perfect their craft using these playbooks. Playbooks come in different formats like videos, templates, and articles. Some of the resources on SaaS Sales Academy are free while others charge a small fee per material downloaded. A free growth session is offered to all new users. This free growth session is a great way to test if the SaaS Sales Academy and platform is right for you.

The SaaS Sales Academy was founded by a highly trained team of SaaS company founders. These individuals have founded and successfully exited multiple companies. With the combination of strong SaaS sales expertise from their team, and easy to use growth playbooks, any SaaS founder or sales rep can find immense value in the SaaS Sales Academy. 

A benefit of training with the SaaS Sales Academy is the lower price point. Compared to other SaaS sales training platforms, the SaaS Sales Academy can be more cost effective sitting around $1,200 for a 7 week program. This price point can be beneficial for SaaS founders with a smaller budget for training. 

Other Noteworthy SaaS Sales Training Programs

• Salesforce Trailhead 
• HubSpot Academy
• LinkedIn Learning 
• Sales Institute 
• Sales Enablement Society 
• SaaS Mastermind

Looking to hire your next SaaS sales professional? Peak has an extensive network of top-performing SaaS leaders ready to make meaningful contributions to your organization. Contact us today to get started.

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• About
• Latest Posts

Brent Thomson

Co-Founder at Peak Sales Recruiting

Before Peak, Brent worked in sales and sales-leadership positions for 18 years. He has considerable experience building and running high-performance teams, which consistently won awards and exceeded sales targets. He was Vice President of Sales for a financial management consulting company, and served with Borland Software as a Regional Sales Manager.

Latest posts by Brent Thomson (see all)

• How to Hire Salespeople Outside Your Industry – December 20, 2023
• 10 Recruiter Skills You Can Leverage in Your Job Search – December 18, 2023
• How to Interview Sales Managers and Find Well-Rounded Talent – December 14, 2023

A high-performing sales team starts with strategic training, which we’ll cover first in this blog. We’ll also cover our best tips on supporting your sales team’s excellence by measuring the right results so you can improve your training and sales techniques over time. 

Ready to build a high-performing sales team? Partner with Peak Sales Recruiting to find the top talent your business needs to thrive!

The 7 Ways to Train Your Sales Team

#1: Upgrade Your Training Materials

Streamlining your training means setting up your systems to be easily shareable, measurable, and optimizable. The first step is having comprehensive, up-to-date training manuals, scripts, and objection-handling guides. By documenting your sales training techniques and processes, you’ll eliminate inefficiencies and be able to easily equip new sales representatives with everything they need to succeed. Your training materials should be organized and easy to access. Ensure you are updating these manuals regularly to reflect the current state of your sales team and customer needs. 

→ Make the most of your sales rep’s first 90 days. Download our free eBook that will guide you through training your new employee to produce—fast. 

#2: Utilize Your Sales Training Platforms

With the right sales training platform, you can provide your sales representatives with interactive training modules, complete sales training courses, product knowledge training, and more. Just having this training available isn’t enough, though. Your sales training platform should enrich your existing training and be referred back to during training to reinforce key concepts and skills. They should make training more efficient and accessible. Representatives need to have these platforms integrated into their everyday tasks and responsibilities. Discuss your platform and demonstrate how it can be used for your team. Be sure that any sales training you use from an external source is highly credible and aligned with your company’s values and goals. 

#3: Teach Employees With Sales Playbooks 

Sales playbooks are a powerful way to guide your sales representatives through challenging scenarios. Your playbooks should address your sales best practices and outline how employees should handle various situations they are likely to encounter. Sales playbooks can come in the form of written text, videos, or in-person workshops. Don’t make the mistake of assuming your new hires are trained well. The only way to ensure your reps have the skills they need to be successful is by training them with your company materials.

#4: Implement Role-Playing

Role-playing can be used as a form of micro-training to reinforce training content from your sales playbooks, training platform, and training materials. Through mock sales calls, your representatives can practice responding to scenarios, overcoming objections, and closing sales. Role-playing is also one of the quickest ways to form new habits, by helping reps apply their skills in a low-stakes environment.

#5: Make Time for Shadowing

Experienced representatives are often the best source of real-world experience for new hires. Their expertise and wisdom provide a behind-the-scenes look in a hands-on environment and can give less experienced sales representatives a better idea of what to expect on the job. Give new hires an opportunity to shadow a variety of top performers as each rep will have a different style. This way, new hires can learn intangible skills like pace and tone of voice and integrate these styles into their own sales.

#6: Offer Regular Coaching and Feedback

Coaching and constructive feedback can grow your employees by leaps and bounds. The difference between the two is that coaching is more dialogue-focused and supports sales representatives in problem-solving, goal setting, and planning for achieving those goals. Feedback can be more passive on the employee’s side and assertive on the manager’s or sales leader’s side. A successful manager will regularly check in with reps during one on one meetings. Peak recommends you meet weekly.

→ To structure your one-on-one meetings for maximum impact, check out our guide to creating a one-on-one meeting agenda here. 

#7: Participate in Seminars and Conferences

Webinars, seminars, and conferences are another way to address the professional development needs of your sales team. You can arrange for employees to attend or organize your own industry-specific webinars and seminars. Encourage seminar attendees to bring back value to the company to solidify what they’ve heard. This practice ensures your entire team gets the knowledge benefit without actually having to attend the seminar. 

How to Measure the Success of Your Sales Team Once They’ve Been Trained

Focus On The Right Metrics – Key sales metrics to track include conversion rates, generated revenue, and size of deals. For individual sales reps, you should also have a performance review process in place that informs which metrics you’re watching. 

→ Need help determining how to measure your employee’s success? Download our free eBook and plan your sales representative’s next performance review. 

Determine Your Lead Response Time – The rate at which your reps respond to incoming leads plays a vital role in sales success. New leads should receive quick responses to qualify leads in a timely manner. If there is a lag in your sales process at this step, it will affect all other sales metrics along your sales pipeline.

Perform a Pipeline Analysis – After your leads enter your sales pipeline, you can measure and analyze the health and progression of their journey. Pay attention to places along the pipeline where leads take a particularly long time, drop out of the sales cycle, or seem to need extra attention from sales reps. These may be areas for improvement. 

Listen to Customer Feedback – Your clients are a valuable resource since they have experienced your entire sales process from the receiving end. Gathering feedback about their interactions with your sales team can reveal how you’re doing regarding customer satisfaction and addressing customer pain points. Sometimes, it may even be appropriate to record sales calls to assess your customer’s experience firsthand. 

Identify Patterns in Your Win-Loss Records – Diving deeper into your conversion metrics can help you decide where your sales training needs a boost. Analyze your deals and why they were won or lost. Then, look for trends in each category that you can translate into actionable insights for your team.

Assess the Application of Your Training Techniques – As you gather information about your pipeline, customer experiences, metrics, and more, you’ll want to assess if your sales representatives are applying your sales training techniques. If techniques are not being used appropriately, check in with representatives to find out why. Determine where your team could use skill reinforcement, additional training, or clarity in their role. 

Consider Team Morale – A motivated and engaged team produces better results. On a day-to-day basis, how is your team’s morale? If your team’s morale is struggling, bring in your sales representatives on a solution. Could they use additional support or encouragement from their leadership? How could they better connect with and support their fellow team members? 

Ready to grow and scale your sales team? At Peak Sales we can source the perfect sales representative for your team from our global network of high-performing professionals. Contact us today to discuss your hiring needs.

• About
• Latest Posts

Kyle Fletcher

Latest posts by Kyle Fletcher (see all)

• Employee Referral Programs: Is Your Next Sales Rep Just One Connection Away? – December 27, 2023
• Don’t Make These 7 Offer Stage Mistakes – December 19, 2023
• Mastering Sales Management: 8 Sales Leadership Qualities Required for Success – December 15, 2023

One-on-One Agenda Template

Download the template as a PDF

Jump to:

One-on-One Meeting Agenda Template

Sample One-on-One Questions for Managers

The importance of one-on-ones for sales teams

One-on-ones are an important platform for developing trust and rapport between sales reps and managers. They’re a chance for leaders to engage in a personal dialogue, understand individual strengths and weaknesses to best guide and motivate reports, and keep the team focused on sales results.

Rep productivity increased by 25% in under 18 months at one consumer services company as soon as a sales leader stopped issuing blanket sales directives and started implementing one-on-one sessions and ride-alongs. Managers focused on nurturing specific skills and set concrete goals to enforce rep development. The human element to management had been missing, but once the company prioritized it, it made an undeniable impact on revenue.

Interestingly, there’s a discrepancy between how much sales leadership believe they coach, and how supported reps feel. Leaders at another Fortune 500 company perceived that they spent enough time coaching their direct reports, scoring themselves in the 80th percentile. Meanwhile, their direct reports believed they receive little to no coaching from their leaders, scoring them at the 38th percentile. Could there be a similar gap on your team? This guide will help you close the rift.

Coaching style influences revenue results

A sales leader who is dedicating just the right amount of time to coaching and one-on-ones may still be able to improve their coaching style. Formal and dynamic coaching styles are correlated with a 13% and 27% increase in win rates, respectively, as compared with random and informal approaches.

• Random coaching: Coaching is “left up to managers,” and there are no top-down guidelines.
• Informal coaching: Guidelines are available, but no defined process has been formally implemented.
• Formal coaching: Leaders are expected to coach according to a structured process; there is a formal effort to develop their skills; there are periodic reviews to optimize process and guidelines.
• Dynamic coaching: A formal process is connected to the sales enablement approach to ensure reinforcement and adoption of the initiatives by salespeople.

Sales leaders should evaluate their company’s coaching process to implement a system that is structured and predictable, yet flexible enough for a personal approach that’s effective in driving results.

Create a agendas to provide structure to your one-on-ones

Agendas bring this proper structure to one-on-ones, help squeeze more value out of every minute, and provide continuity across meetings week to week.

Asking the right questions in one-on-ones clarifies actions and expectations from both sides and opens the discussion to wider problem-solving and troubleshooting. One-on-one meetings are a dialogue, and an agenda can help you stay on track.

Do’s and Don’ts of One-on-Ones

There are a few ground rules for sales managers to ensure the best outcomes.

Do:

• Come to the meeting prepared, and have your rep prepare as well. A good place to start is to share an agenda (a sample template is included below).
• Review performance metrics, but take a holistic approach. Laurie Page, Managing Partner at Bridge Group, says, “Go beyond the metrics. For example, as a Sales Leader, I always had reps come with responses to the following questions:”
  • Top 2 accomplishments (from our last meeting or the week)
  • Top 2 challenges with a proposed solution (from our last meeting or the week)
  • What you’d like from me (as your leader)
• Document the outcome at the end of each meeting. Agree on action items and deadlines, and record them in writing in an email summary or shared document. Writing them down ensures accountability and eliminates misunderstandings.
• Strategize with reps and help them identify solutions. Page recommends, “Instead of saying, ‘you need a bigger pipeline,’ brainstorm with reps on actual strategies and tactics to increase pipeline.”
• Schedule regular, recurring one-on-ones with every member of the team. They can be weekly, biweekly, or monthly, but place them at the same time and on the same day. This predictability helps the rep to deliver on action items from the previous meeting by creating clear deadlines.
• Be on time or early. This demonstrates that you value and care about the employee.
• Schedule 5–15 minutes of buffer time at the end of a one-on-one to privately synthesize your thoughts and notes about team needs. (If your one-on-one is 25 minutes, schedule 30; if it’s 45 minutes, schedule 60.)

Don’t:

• Never cancel one-on-one meetings, and reschedule only if absolutely necessary. This supports accountability.
• Never use phones during the meeting. It’s crucial that you are 100% present. Taking brief notes on a laptop is fine, but discussion and connection are the priorities, and they should take precedence over everything else.

A few advanced tips:

Salesforce’s Colin Nanka suggests that employees can send their manager an agenda in writing 24–48 hours ahead of the one-on-one. This helps them identify high-priority discussion meetings and lets you get up to speed in advance so the meeting stays concise but provides maximum value.

He also suggests to schedule one-on-ones for the beginning of the week, preferably on Mondays and Tuesdays. This allows reps to plan their week according to the priorities identified in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Cameron Herold, author of Meetings Suck, recommends that managers schedule one-on-ones on the same day as sales leadership meetings, in which managers review numbers, dashboards, and goals. That way, all sales leaders are on the same page and bring the same core priorities to their one-on-ones later.

One-on-ones are easy to neglect or get wrong, but they’re not difficult to get right when you follow these core principles and rules of etiquette. A little thought and planning will quickly enable you to get the most out of your relationships with reps.

 

One-on-One Meeting Agenda Template

This agenda template provides a high-level structure for your one-on-ones, which you can customize using our sample questions below (or write your own).

How long the meeting lasts is up to you, but they’re usually in the range of 30–60 minutes. Sixty minutes allow you to dig into the issues at hand. Thirty minutes forces you and your rep to be more efficient and may be more manageable if you have a large number of direct reports.

One-on-One Agenda Template

Download the template as a PDF

Schedule 30–60 minute calendar block for a 25–45 minute meeting.1. Meet with rep (25–45 min): 5 min: Open-ended starter question (“How was last week?”) 15–30 min: Structured questions (see examples of questions below) Evaluate previous week’s performance Problem-solve specific situations Ask the rep for feedback about the manager Assess areas for personal and professional growth Set up next week’s goals and expectations 5 min: Define action items in writing 2. Transition (5–15 min): Buffer time for the manager to consolidate high-level thoughts and jot down notes, take a short break, and make it early to the next meeting.

 

Sample One-on-One Questions for Managers

To encourage this dialogue, we’ve developed these open-ended questions to help open up the discussion and to stimulate the rep to think critically about the points raised.

To encourage this dialogue, we’ve developed these open-ended questions to help open up the discussion and to stimulate the rep to think critically about the points raised.

Evaluate the previous week’s performance

• What was last week’s goal?
• Did you hit it?
• Ask about specific selling activities:
  • Calls
  • Emails sent
  • Demos
  • In-person meetings
  • Proposals
• What happened during these activities?
  • Dig into the details and ask for any data available. For example, when discussing calls, look into the number of calls attempted, how many connections were actually made, the call lengths, and the results.

Set up next week’s goals and expectations

• What are your plans and priorities for the coming week?
• What are next week’s targets, in terms of the selling activities discussed above?

Coach and problem-solve specific situations

• What’s working?
• Where are you getting stuck?
• If there is a problem, what do you think it is? (This question-and-answer-based, collaborative style of “argumentative” dialogue is known as the “Socratic method,” and it helps you work more closely with the rep to identify the root causes of any issues and get buy-in for change.)
• What might you do differently?
• Kelly Riggs of The Business LockerRoom recommends asking the rep to detail one thing that worked and one thing that didn’t in the previous week, and to name:
  • One thing to start doing
  • One thing to stop doing
  • One thing to keep doing

Utilize the following types of sales coaching to guide the rep through real-world scenarios they’re currently engaging with:

• Sales skills coaching: Troubleshoot sales skills and a rep’s ability to communicate value.
• Lead and opportunity coaching: Examine a specific lead or account to determine its position in the buyer’s journey. Discuss the optimal activities for the rep to move it forward.
• Pipeline coaching: Together with the rep, assess their pipeline and determine the most promising accounts. Collaboratively define where they should focus their energies.

Laurie Page shares a tactic she loves to use, developed by Larry D’Angelo, SVP of Sales at LogMeIn. “The idea is that a leader should go through their reps’ forecasts deal by deal. You’ll do another layer of sales qualification by asking:

1. Why does the the prospect need to buy anything?
2. What’ll happen if they do nothing?
3. Which of our key differentiation have they locked on to?

If the reps can’t answer all three questions clearly, don’t report that opportunity up into your forecast.”

Ask for a rep’s feedback about you as a manager

• Do you have any feedback for me?

Feedback for you as a manager is just as important as the feedback you give to your rep. Ask what you’re doing well, or what you can do to provide better support. Kelly Riggs suggests asking the rep to use the SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact) when delivering this feedback.

Assess areas for personal and professional growth

• How are you doing?
• What is one thing I can help you with this week to support your growth?

Asking insightful and incisive questions during one-on-one will yield a large amount of information and direct your attention to areas where your rep needs the most development.

Evaluating Employees During One-on-Ones

One-on-ones are not a forum for berating or badgering a rep; on the contrary, their primary purpose is to nurture and benefit the employee. According to Kelly Riggs, the chief idea of a one-on-one is for sales leaders to ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to the answers so they can properly evaluate their employees. Being attentive will alert you to particular patterns and behaviors that need work.

As you work through an employee’s performance reports during one-on-ones, ask yourself these questions:

• Does she create an effective plan each week? Is it consistent with her overall sales plan?
• Is she executing her plan?
• Does she have a strong understanding of our sales process?
• Is her sales pipeline full of qualified opportunities?

Riggs advises against knee-jerk reactions and instant results-oriented decisions. “I resist the need to correct and criticize every problem I see,” he says. “Don’t jump into major correction during the first two or three one-on-one meetings, because you’ll want the pattern to surface and become apparent through observation.”

Similarly, it’s often a good idea to ask for permission to give advice when behavior correction is necessary—for example, there may be occasions when more serious issues simply can’t wait until an annual review. “In those situations when I most definitely want to offer specific advice, I actually ask permission,” Riggs notes. Wording the advice diplomatically—and asking permission to do so—will usually yield better results than laying down the law. “You will be surprised at the difference it makes to ask rather than simply dictate next steps,” he says.

Take brief notes during or after the meeting, to which you can refer during future one-on-ones, and which will help you evaluate the rep’s planning abilities and how they’ve achieved their goals from the previous meeting (or not).

Throughout the process, the focus needs to be on the rep and the development of their potential.

Make one-on-ones happen

Every sales force is judged on its performance. But every team is also made up of individuals, and great sales leaders make sure that they connect personally with every member of their team to meet their unique needs and help them reach their highest potential. By holding effective, meaningful one-on-ones, you can have tangible effects on sales results, as well as employee morale and retention.

Every organization has a different culture and philosophy, but sales leaders can customize one-on-ones to suit their team’s environment and temperament. The meetings’ frequency and length, as well as the type and number of questions discussed, can be continuously refined and adapted, growing and evolving with the team and the business.

What’s most important is consistency, and ensuring that the meetings happen in the first place. If you don’t yet have a practice of regular one-on-ones, it’s up to you to make it happen. Instigate your first meetings straight away and optimize them from there.

The data reveals the value of these meetings, but your team’s morale—and sales results—will speak for themselves.

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• About
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Eliot Burdett

Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)

• 31 Must-Know Sales Follow-Up Statistics for 2024 Success – December 21, 2023
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