Want to sell more? Make your team less competitive, not more

As a person who has coached several sales teams over the years, I have seen how traditional competitive sales operates leaders. Perhaps the biggest challenge to handle this particular group of personalities is that they are extremely competitive. This competition can be an honor for your company (such as sale) and a burden for you (such as you are trying to prevent high acquiring from acting aggressive or fast).

I have seen that high -sales actors have clashed on areas and have to fight each other. Their sales manager then has to focus on strategic leadership to go to a permanent solution to the dispute. Stress is very high for the manager, but also for the entire organization.

Because of this experience, I found an alternative approach to the sales team’s structure, studying companies that successfully re -imagined their sales cultures. The organizations I witnessed have changed their department by breaking the traditional SILO and changing their compensation model and changing their department by revenge collective success against individual success. These models showed me that there is a better way forward.

Related: Mutual cooperation can help develop development and how to help your business reach new heights

Why mutual support works for everyone

Your sales team’s naturally -going behaviors are beneficial to you, but when they disagree with each other, this is a drain on their time. If your sellers are trying to overtake each other permanently, they will not be so focused on advancing the competition. They will also have a problem with working together to meet the common goals.

One way to fix this is to change your internal sales framework and move towards the one that replaces mutual cooperation. When they cooperate, they can develop their abilities and have a better chance of defeating rivals.

But be careful. You can’t just say that you are going to cooperate and then allow the debate to end. Instead, you have to re -review the strategy on several aspects of your sales culture so that you can still measure and control. You can start with the following tips.

1. Allow sales representatives to be more flexible

Have your sellers assigned strict areas, vertical or product lines? This can cause unnecessary stress between your sellers and their customers. Sometimes, this friction can arise from team members that some assignments are less conducive to others.

Ways to enhance cross -divisional harmony, think about the ways you can leave some of your obstacles. For example, the nexus stops the traditional sales model by organizing it in five Separately but with co -operation In 11 western states. Instead of encouraging each sales team for the products for which they are directly responsible, their sales representatives have the ability to specialize from any division when the customer needs multiple product categories or special knowledge. This approach not only provides a more smooth customer experience, but it also positions the sales team as the user’s “go -to” resource for all its needs.

To put this concept into practice, map your existing regional or product barriers, then pilot the “Flex Territory” program to allow cross -boundary support on qualifying deals. Establish a protocol and regularly -sharing sessions that participate in clear taxes between the divisions.

Also, the most important thing is, adjusting your own compensation structure to reward individual performance, make sure that helping a partner to close the contract does not punish anyone’s commission.

Opening more opportunities to your sellers will not mean that your pressure will end. However, you will not need to play the role of a referee among unhappy sellers.

Related: A leader to hire the right type of sales personnel for what you are selling

2. Add a group commission to your compensation model

Traditional sales comp structures that are built around individual quota can eliminate mutual cooperation. According to Alexander Group, that’s why 91 % of the companies said they would comply with their contemptuous projects this year Survey of 2024 sales compensation trends.

A proof point comes from Fazer, with 4,500 US customer colleagues mapped in seven business lines and hundreds of micro -terrorists. Each area joins a regional collective, and once the region crosses the target of 100 %, the whole harmony participates in the global performance plan, an annual bonus pool that contains about 20 % of the twenty -one -20 % salary in the upper part of any individual privileges. Areas have been re -mapped in the quarter to keep work burden and opportunities balanced, so no one feels short change, but everyone is invested in emphasizing the region.

Related: How to make a salary structure that promotes team and company growth

3. Sale Professionals empower to work on their unique abilities

Another way to promote mutual cooperation is to complete your process in full over hall. For example, you can use a test like Clifton Strength diagnosis What is your employee better Then you can use data to find out who is raining, relative, near, a specialist, etc.

After determining your team’s strengths, then you can position them to shine. You may assume your net workers to rain and then lead to the masters of your communication that can make contacts. By most of your current team’s skills, you may be able to help you get the maximum – just make sure your new compensation model is associated with changing the role.

One of the good side effects of turning your team into an integrated unit is that you will now be able to see any kind of gap. When you do, you can fill these gaps with the right abilities. In addition, you will be able to easily compromise on market changes in the market as they will work together.

You have a lot of pressure. Instead of continuing to work as usual, consider the benefits of reducing competition and encourage you and your team to encourage.