How to Assess the Will and Skill of Your Sales Team
Another critical key to sales management is to continually assess the readiness level of team members and have the courage to take appropriate actions once you’ve completed your assessment.
I believe that readiness is made up of two key factors: SKILL and WILL. Does the salesperson have the ability to do the job (SKILL) and the desire to do the job (WILL)? When evaluating “skill” ask yourself:
- Have they had either formal or informal training?
- Do they understand the task that is required?
- Can they easily apply the task as needed?
- Have they done this before? How often?
When evaluating “will” ask yourself:
- Do they have the get up and go to do this task?
- Do they have incentive to do what’s being asked of them?
- Is there a safety net if they fail at first?
- Do they trust in their abilities to do this task?
Next, identify three to five “mission critical” tasks that a salesperson must perform to be successful in their job. Here’s my list of “mission critical” tasks:
- Sell/Deliver Consistent Results
- Follow-up w/Prospects/Clients
- Complete administrative tasks on time/accurately
- Plan their day/manage their time
Another way to assess the readiness of team members is to use one of our tools, “SNAP” Shot tool. SNAP is an acronym for:
Strengths: What does your salesperson do well? What do they most enjoy doing?
New Objectives: What are their short and long term goals? What do they want to accomplish this year?
Assistance: How can I help them get there? What resources are required?
Professional Development: What skills would they like to improve or learn this year? What are the best ways for them to learn?
Lastly, make sure you have the managerial courage to de-hire people who aren’t performing. Keeping a “toad” on the team undermines your leadership with the rest of the team members as they begin to question your judgment.