Kayla, one of my regular clients, came to me to jump-start her team with more sales management training. Here’s what she stated,
“Even when I have time to talk with my team face-to-face, they only give me lip service or blank looks.”
“I was hoping you could help me stir the pot so we can finish the year with a bang.”
Kayla is a good manager trapped in a labyrinth of accountability. She wasn’t getting the results from her team because they’d gone down the path of least resistance. Here’s what I suggested:
Six Top Ways to Encourage Team Accountability
- Listen — Initiate meaningful dialogue with each team member, setting up areas of responsibility, creating smart criteria for specific performance standards.
- Motivate — Remember that all members of your team are individuals with motivations as different as their work styles.
- Respect — Respond to and respect individual selling styles so your team performs above and beyond expectations.
- Understand — Know and understand your sales team, like you understand your customers.
- Value — Discover what each member of your team truly values.
- Reinforce — Create a follow-up system to hold your people accountable.
Like I shared with Kayla, you’ll lose your best team members if you don’t find ways for them to feel successful and accomplished in their positions. The best way to understand what people value is to engage. Talk with your employees, and really listen to what success means to them.
