Turning around an underperforming sales team is a crucial challenge many sales leaders face. In a recent conversation with Morgan Rabas, an experienced sales leader with nearly a decade of expertise, valuable insights were shared on navigating this daunting task. This article distills the essence of that conversation into actionable advice and highlights some of Morgan's most impactful quotes, offering a roadmap for sales leaders looking to elevate their teams.
Embrace Empathy and Perspective
One of the most resonant pieces of advice Morgan shared was about the importance of empathy and perspective. "No one cares as much as you," Rabas reflected, emphasizing the need for sales leaders to never take things personally and to always strive to understand the other person's viewpoint. This principle isn't just about navigating personal challenges; it's about influencing and aligning with others' priorities to drive engagement and care.
"Let me put myself in the other person's shoes and understand where they're coming from, and then how can I influence their perspective or even how can I get them to care a little bit more?" - Morgan Rabas
Aligning Priorities for Mutual Benefit
Aligning what's important to you with what's crucial for your customers or team members is key to making them care more. Rabas highlights the effectiveness of solving or easing one of the top three issues for someone else, thereby fostering a mutual caring relationship. This approach is pivotal both in dealing with customers and in motivating sales teams.
"By aligning what's important to you with what's important to them, they're going to care a lot more." - Morgan Rabas
Identify and Leverage Strengths
A significant part of turning around an underperforming team involves identifying not just the weaknesses but also the strengths within the team. "Even in some of the most underperforming teams I've seen, there's always something good," Rabas notes, emphasizing the importance of capitalizing on these positive aspects to foster quick wins and boost morale.
"Being able to capitalize on that early on and get a quick win... helps." - Morgan Rabas
Communication and Clarity
Clarity and communication are the bedrock of effectively managing and turning around sales teams. Setting clear expectations, according to Rabas, involves bridging the gap between the team's needs and the business objectives. A transparent approach ensures that everyone is on the same page, thereby aligning efforts towards common goals.
"Making sure that it's clear for every different communication style on how to get there." - Morgan Rabas
Addressing Underperformance
Identifying the root causes of underperformance and taking actionable steps towards remediation is critical. Rabas advises focusing on one issue at a time and seeking solutions that align with both team and business goals. Whether it's through adjusting targets, enhancing training, or reallocating resources, the goal is to make incremental changes that yield significant impacts over time.
"Pick one thing that you're going to do today...to take a step in the right direction and turn that progress into reality." - Morgan Rabas
Wrap Up
Turning around an underperforming sales team is no small feat. However, through empathy, alignment of priorities, leveraging strengths, clear communication, and focused action on underperformance, sales leaders can drive their teams towards success. Morgan Rabas's insights provide a valuable framework for tackling this challenge, emphasizing the power of understanding, patience, and strategic action in fostering a high-performing sales environment. As sales leaders, focusing on these key areas can make a substantial difference in not only reversing underperformance but also in building a resilient, motivated, and successful sales team.
How to Turn Around an Underperforming Sales Team with Morgan Rabas