If your business is built around sales, you have undoubtedly had to address the following question; is it better to build a sales team that works together or one that is in constant competition? Yes, competition can be a good thing, but a sales force that acts like a team can be far more productive than one with inherent competition.

The trick, however, is to promote both teamwork and competition. How is that possible? You must motivate your sales team with a group goal – perhaps an end of the year trip or a cash bonus. Whatever you do, you must make it about the team and not about individual accolades. If your sales team spends all its energy fighting against each other, they won’t have much energy or time left to fight for your customers.

It is okay to encourage competition; however, you can never let it compromise what you stand for as individuals and as a company. Competition is healthy when the team is bound with mutual respect and a common goal. If you accomplish this, you will have built a sales team focused on sales and profitability and not on direct competition with one another.

It is also important, however, to treat each sales person individually. The truth is that most professional sales people have big egos. That is just the way it is. Salespeople want to hear that they are performing well. But you cannot ignore the “weak link,” either. You need to encourage weaker sales staff and show them support. After all, your sales team is only as strong as its weakest link. And since your entire team is working towards one goal, they should also be more receptive to helping out one another. So, as you can see, a unified team is a strong team.

It’s a simple formula on paper, but can be very challenging to carry out.

At the end of the day, the success of your sales team comes down to how THEY measure success. Happy customers? Profit? Gross sales? Annuity revenue? Loyalty? Entrepreneurialism? Work ethic? Passion? Or individual accolades?

So be sure your sales team is working towards the right goal(s) – profit, customer satisfaction, business growth, etc.

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Sources:

Sales Manager Tips :How To Manage Sales People ManagingSalesPeople.com

Should I Encourage Competition Among My Sales Team? SmartCompany.com