From the outside, it may seem that racecar driving involves an extremely simple principle. Drive as fast as you can around the track and win the trophy. The reality is that drivers have many obstacles that they must overcome and navigate around in order to win the race: limited visibility in the cockpit, competitors, and of course the performance of the vehicle. That’s where the crewmembers come in.
The driver must rely on communication with team members like the crew chief, spotter, mechanics and other specialists who guide the driver around the track, to find the racing groove, or the best route around the track. For the racecar driver, racing toward that winning performance is a factor of choosing the right team, and maintaining effective communication throughout the race.
If you lead a sales organization, the quest for winning sales performance builds on several of the same principles. When it comes to building a high-performance sales team, a similarly simple outlook boils the tremendous work it can take down to a few focused strategies.
In a recent Training Magazine article, I noted that research has shown us time and again that performance of most sales teams can be improved by:
- Maintaining focus on the full spectrum of “defining moments” that make up the entirety of the sales and post-sales process, thereby building a customer relationship defined by trust.
- Investing wisely in sales training. Research shows that companies that invest in moderate to substantial coaching and training tend to enjoy greater deal sizes, increased personal sales revenue, and more overall success.
- Encouraging every member of the team to own the customer experience, by training beyond the sales force, and including all team members who have customer facing roles.
Through ongoing coaching and training, the sales team too can become a winning team that’s geared for top performance. Achieving this level of success, though, means constantly asking the question, “how can we support our driver and get in the sales groove?”
Sharon Daniels is CEO of AchieveGlobal in Tampa, Florida
