For those in sales, the reality of the situation is often that sales are up year-over-year but profits remain stagnant or fall short of targets and goals set. One of the most common problems is the fact that the sales department of a company does not effectively communicate with other departments to ensure goals and objectives are met. This is often because of a lack of trust between the sales department and the rest of the business. It has also been found that salespeople, who are used to receiving few if any perks at the end of the year, are not as open to offering support as they would like.
With a little creativity, sales can be raised without compromising productivity. It is not necessary to provide sales incentives or discuss quotas with the sales staff. Simply allowing for occasional or spontaneous raises, without any discussion or planning, will result in increased morale and willingness to work harder. The sales department should be made to feel that its views are respected and appreciated. This will encourage them to communicate their views more regularly and proactively.
An effective sales manager should be able to delegate sales responsibility to sales people while still maintaining control. The sales manager must also be able to provide support and training to the sales team to ensure that they are maximizing their sales potential. If these skills are practiced and reinforced regularly, it will make for a dynamic and profitable sales team that will ultimately be in charge of increasing profitability for the business.