Ever find yourself scratching your head, wondering why your sales team isn't hitting their sales numbers? Or why that new hire with a "stellar" resume just can't seem to close deals? It’s a trap many business owners and sales managers fall into, believing that hiring someone with a strong industry background will be the magic fix. That approach can lead to major disappointments.
Let me take you back to when I was a rookie sales manager. Freshly promoted and eager to make an impact, I was tasked with building a sales team that could take our company to new heights. I thought I had it all figured out. I figured, "If they’ve got industry experience, they must be good." So, I set out to hire only those with deep knowledge of our industry. I didn’t care about much else. I thought industry experience was everything. What a dope.
And at first glance, my plan seemed foolproof. I found a few candidates with impressive resumes. They knew the industry inside out. They had been selling in this space for years, so they were sure to know all the ins and outs, right? But when I got them on the ground, things didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped.
I realized pretty quickly that they were struggling. Despite all their experience, they just couldn’t connect with our buyers. I’d hired these people based on their familiarity with the industry, but they lacked the ability to reach the specific decision-makers we were targeting.
The new hires came from very large competitors with big names in the market. They couldn’t differentiate our value. In some cases, the hires with “industry experience” had major accounts at their previous job. This helped them reach the sales goals without hunting. They couldn’t hunt. They could form new relationships quickly, nor could they sell value. I had failed.
I needed them to be consultative and drive change within the market. They had sold before, but they hadn’t sold using our process. It was like watching someone try to fit a square peg into a round hole. I started to understand that industry experience alone doesn’t cut it. What I needed was someone who had the right skills, someone who knew how to call on our buyers specifically, not just someone who knew the general landscape.
It was a tough lesson, but it was one that has stuck with me ever since. As sales leaders, we often fall into the trap of hiring based on experience, thinking it will automatically translate into results. But sales is about more than just industry knowledge; it’s about having the skills to navigate the specific terrain of your market. That’s when I realized, if you want a killer sales team, you’ve got to dig deeper.
There are other common mistakes that sales managers make. If you are a sales manager or run a business, consider if any of these 10 mistakes are happening right now under your watch.
- The Trap of Assumptions:
Here’s another mistake I made – I assumed that everyone works the same way I do. I was a go-getter, always chasing the next deal. I thought my team would automatically mirror my approach. But not everyone has that same drive, and not everyone is going to work in the same way. It took me a while, but I eventually learned that I needed to set clear expectations. Weekly KPIs became my go-to tool for keeping everyone on track. Just because someone has experience doesn’t mean they’ll have your work ethic.
- Experience Doesn’t Guarantee Success:
My biggest mistake was hiring based solely on experience. As we scaled up, I brought in a couple of seasoned sales reps. They had the credentials, and they had been in sales longer than I had. I thought their experience alone would carry them. But guess what? They underperformed. Just because they had been in the game longer didn’t mean they were any better. I learned the hard way that experience should never be the sole deciding factor in hiring. Instead, pay for performance. Let them prove themselves first.
- Delaying Necessary Firings:
Letting go of underperformers is never easy, especially when you’ve invested time and resources into their development. I made the mistake of waiting too long to make those hard calls. I gave them more time, hoping they would turn things around. But here’s the reality – some people just don’t have it. The quicker you can make those decisions, the better off your team will be. When performance isn’t there, you’ve got to either coach them up or cut them loose.
- Failing to Spot the Bad Apples:
I had one rep who was always out of the office. At first, I thought it was a good thing – he was out there hustling. But then I found out he was spending more time on the golf course (without customers) than on sales calls. Another rep was spreading negativity and dragging the whole team down. Bad reps can poison your sales force. If someone is consistently a bad influence or just not pulling their weight, it’s time to let them go.
- Activity Doesn’t Equal Results:
There’s always that one person who logs a ton of calls but has nothing to show for it. They think being busy is the same as being productive. I had a few of those on my team. They were great at looking busy but terrible at actually moving deals forward. If someone’s putting in the activity but not delivering results, you have to dig deeper and find out why. More often than not, you’ll find they’re avoiding the hard work of actually closing deals.
- Letting Low Win Rates Slide:
Sales is a numbers game, sure. But it’s not just about the quantity of deals; it’s about the quality. I had reps who could get meetings but couldn’t close. They’d bring in prospects, but they couldn’t seal the deal. I had to step in and coach them on how to convert those leads into paying clients. Sometimes, though, no amount of coaching will help, and that’s when you have to make tough decisions about their future with the team.
- Ignoring Expense Padding:
There was this one time I found out a rep was padding their expenses. Charging personal expenses to their business expenses. That was a deal-breaker. You can’t have people on your team who are willing to cheat the system. It’s not just about the money; it’s about integrity. If someone is cutting corners like that, you’ve got to show them the door.
- Overlooking Unethical Behavior:
Along the same type of problem, sometimes you come across someone who’s willing to lie, cheat, or steal to make a sale. I once had a rep who was so desperate to hit their numbers that they falsified an invoice. I fired them on the spot. When you tolerate unethical behavior, you’re sending the message that it’s okay to cut corners. Your team will only rise to the level of integrity you expect from them.
- Allowing Underperformance to Continue:
There comes a point when you realize that all the coaching in the world isn’t going to help someone who just isn’t cut out for the job. I had reps who consistently missed their targets, despite all the training and support. If someone isn’t hitting their numbers over the long haul, you’ve got to make a change. It’s not fair to the rest of the team to keep someone around who isn’t pulling their weight. Mediocrity kills the sales culture.
- Letting Poor Team Dynamics Slide:
Negativity is like cancer; it spreads and destroys morale. I had a rep who refused to collaborate, always butted heads with others, and undermined our efforts. That kind of attitude can’t be tolerated. You’ve got to protect the team from those who refuse to play by the rules.
If you’re serious about building a high-performing sales team, stop making these mistakes. Take a hard look at your hiring practices and your management style. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Invest in people with the skills and the drive to succeed, and don’t be afraid to make tough calls when necessary. Your sales team is the engine that drives your business – make sure you’re fueling it with the right people.
Ready to transform your sales team? Let’s talk about how you can build a culture of accountability, integrity, and results. Reach out today and let’s start building a team that delivers.