We’ve reached the end of March and in a few days, we will find out which teams will be squaring off in the final game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. As the month-long tournament comes to a close, I can’t help but wonder what separates the top performing teams from the teams who exited early. While talented players, hard work and determination are the obvious answers, it’s also clear that a successful team needs a strong coach to help lead them to the Final Four.
Like successful basketball teams, a sales team’s success is also dependent on a strong leader. Keep reading to find out three tips you can learn from great basketball coaches that you can use to become a better sales leader.
Track Success Metrics
It’s easy to measure success in basketball by the amount of wins and losses in a season. But great coaches take it a step further and track assists to turnover ratios, the number of rebounds, steals and free throw percentage. The coach can then analyze these numbers to figure out where the team is coming short and work with the team on these problems during training sessions.
The same type of measuring and reporting can also apply to sales. Instead of measuring your sales team’s success on whether or not they make quota, you should consider tracking successful sales calls and implementation meetings. When sales reps have successful phone calls and meetings, they’re more likely to make quota. Figuring out where they’re struggling throughout the process will help you understand where they need coaching and attention.
Don’t Forget to Coach
One of the most important parts of being a basketball coach is to actually coach the players. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many poor performing teams suffer because of a lack of good leadership. Of course, there are day-to-day and press related activities required from a head coach, but the best coaches still make coaching a priority.
Even though coaching is also a big part of a sales leader’s responsibilities, few make it a priority and spend little to no time developing their team. There are many activities and tasks that need to be completed by sales leaders, but the greatest impact you can have is not behind your desk filling out paperwork, but out in the field with your sales team. Make time to develop sales talent and build sales capability across your entire team. Remember, even the best teams fail because of a lack of good sales leadership.
Motivate with Recognition and Rewards
Great athletes have a natural competitiveness and drive to be the best, but that success also comes with the promise of recognition and acknowledgment. Rewards like Most Outstanding Player at the conclusion of the NCAA tournament or College Basketball Player of the Year help recognize players in a public way, but many players also crave internal praise. Great coaches know that praising and recognizing an athlete’s success and effort works as a great motivator to their success. For example, they create internal rewards when players reach a certain milestone or make a certain number of points or even praise an athlete at halftime.
In turn, great sales leaders also know how important a good recognition and rewards program is to the success of their team. And not just rewards when a sales rep makes quota, but small rewards or praise throughout the year to help them stay motivated toward their goal. Top performers want monetary compensation for their achievements, but they also want feedback on their performance and certain levels of autonomy and freedom. The combination of both internal and public praise will make sure your sales team reaches their goals.
If you decide to watch the final games of the NCAA tournament, make sure to pay attention to how the coaches interact with the players and see if there are any other tips you can take away from their action. Great coaches, like sales leaders, don’t become great without hard work and a little trial and error. Follow these three tips to see how great leaders continue to have success.
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