Want A Top-Performing Sales Team? Try These Six Ingredients

More than ever, sales leaders are under pressure to perform. The success of their organizations often rests on their shoulders. If that weren’t enough, they must attract, hire, retain, and motivate salespeople in a tougher-than-ever marketplace.

If they’re looking for tips on how to survive and thrive, a good resource is a new book by Anna Glynn. It’s titled STRONG: How the Best Sales Leaders Engage, Achieve, and Thrive.

In addition to being a seasoned sales leader herself, Glynn coaches sales leaders in a range of industries. Her practice is supported by her academic background in applied positive psychology.

She rightly points out that some people are in sales without realizing it—lawyers, architects, teachers, doctors, accountants, engineers, etc. She offers advice to them for becoming more self-aware—and more productive—in the sales role.

“Many professionals often hesitate to acknowledge that they're in sales,” she says. “This reluctance stems from misconceptions that sales doesn't align with their identity or values. Some even view sales as less honorable or ‘icky.’ However, the reality is that we all engage in sales to some extent. Sales isn't just about transactions; it's about solving complex problems, providing advice, educating others, or even convincing your kids to go to bed!”

Glynn says that if your role involves influencing decisions, building relationships, motivating behavior, or persuading someone to do business with you, then you're in sales. “It's time to move past outdated thinking and recognize that sales is fundamentally about understanding and meeting the needs of others and creating value—principles that are universal across many professions, including law, architecture, teaching, and healthcare.”

She says once professionals in these fields embrace this perspective, they'll realize they too need the right mindset, toolset, and skillset to succeed in sales. “These elements not only enhance engagement and results, but also contribute to greater wellbeing and resilience,” she says. “These outcomes benefit everyone both professionally and personally. By shifting perceptions of sales and embracing its principles, we can all thrive in our respective roles and achieve greater success.”

Attrition seems to be a challenge for many sales teams. Glynn offers ideas on the keys to onboarding—and retaining—good salespeople.

“Attrition poses a significant challenge for sales teams as the departure of a salesperson can disrupt client relationships and negatively impact customer retention,” she says. “Sales turnover is costly, often amounting to as much as four times the salesperson's pay.”

To address the attrition challenge effectively, she says, organizations must focus on meeting the four key needs of their salespeople.

1. “We all have an innate need to belong, especially in the workplace. Feeling supported and connected enhances our productivity, energy, and engagement. When salespeople feel a sense of belonging, they are more likely to be committed to their workplace and less inclined to leave.”

2. “Salespeople value control and choice over how, when, and with whom they work. While autonomy can include remote work options, it's not limited to that. Offering flexible start, break, and end times, or the opportunity to choose the type of work or with whom, can energise and satisfy salespeople, boosting their engagement.”

3. “Competence speaks to our desire to build knowledge and develop skills to feel highly capable in our roles. Salespeople seek employers who support their growth, offer a clear long-term career path, and provide regular opportunities for learning, growth, and development. This can be achieved through training, coaching, feedback, role-shadowing, or job rotations.”

4. “Finding meaning and contributing to something bigger than themselves is essential for salespeople. Understanding the impact of their product or service on clients can boost their motivation and resilience, especially during challenging times. Aligning their work with the organisation's purpose can further enhance their sense of fulfillment and commitment.”

Glynn says organizations that cultivate cultures aligning with these four needs are more likely to retain their top sales talent and attract quality new hires.

“An organization's onboarding process should focus on understanding these needs specifically for each recruit and devising ongoing strategies to meet them effectively,” she says. “By prioritizing these key needs and incorporating them into the organizational culture and onboarding process, companies can significantly improve sales team retention and overall performance.”

In our post-pandemic world, employee burnout is more common than ever. Glynn explains the early warning signs that a salesperson is burning out.

“Burnout, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is charactezised by three key aspects: mental and physical exhaustion, cynicism towards one's job, and reduced productivity or efficacy,” she says. “These indicators are universal and applicable to everyone, highlighting the importance of recognizing these signs in ourselves and others.”

Glynn says the first noticeable sign of burnout often manifests as changes in behavior that deviate from one's usual patterns. “Early recognition of these changes provides an opportunity to check in and understand the underlying issues affecting the individual's wellbeing and performance.”

As a proactive measure to prevent burnout, Glynn recommends regular check-ins with both sales leaders and team members. She says the check-ins can take various forms, such as one-on-one meetings, surveys, or informal conversations, to assess wellbeing, workload, and overall job satisfaction. “Creating an open and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their concerns and needs can help identify potential issues before they escalate into full-blown burnout,” she says.

By actively monitoring for early warning signs and fostering a culture of support and communication, Glynn says, organizations can better protect the wellbeing of their salespeople and maintain a healthy, productive work environment.

So, what are the “best practices” Glynn has observed in top sales leaders? Her years of study and real world experience led her to identify six core principles that consistently emerge as keys to success for sales leaders and their teams. Those six principles are captured in her STRONG model.

• Strengths. Sales leaders must recognize and leverage individual and team strengths while effectively managing their weaknesses. “This approach supports them in overcoming challenges more easily and achieving goals more efficiently.”
• Trust & Psychological Safety. In a safe working environment, “sales leaders empower their teams to collaborate, innovate, and learn from one another, thereby gaining a competitive edge.”
• Resilience. “Given the constant setbacks and challenges inherent in sales roles, effective leaders must equip their sales teams with strategies to cope well and handle pressure effectively, fostering collective resilience within the team.”
• Optimism. “Optimists outperform pessimists by 20% to 40% on average. Effective leaders cultivate an optimistic mindset within their teams, which inspires problem-solving, encourages action, and energizes performance.”
• Networks. “Successful sales leaders create environments where relationships thrive, recognising the impact of these connections on energy levels, stress levels, and ultimately, business success. Building and nurturing networks is essential for long-term success and growth.”
• Goals & Purpose. “Sales leaders understand that motivation doesn’t solely come from big bonuses or commissions. Instead, they focus on satisfying their teams’ needs for competence, autonomy, relatedness, and purpose.”

Glynn says these six STRONG principles serve as foundational elements that drive success in sales. “By embracing these principles and integrating them into their leadership approach, sales leaders can create a thriving and high performing team capable of achieving sustained success in the competitive sales landscape.”