The leader. Yep, I said it, it’s the leader of the group that can make or break success. Here’s why: according to a recent Gallup poll, Manager’s account for 70% of an employee’s variance in engagement. Wow. Also according to Gallup, an engaged workforce outperforms it’s less engaged counterparts by 147% per share. Staggering.
As an Inside Sales leader, below is a standard list that can drive engagement with your team. You may call these items something else, however, the gist is the same. And with the majority of our employees’ engagement riding on our own, it’s definitely something to move to the top of our priority list.
(I can also hear some of you out there calling out the employee’s responsibility to own their own engagement. Completely agree. And by setting clear expectations, that helps our team to either engage or not.)
So here we go, as a True Leader, you:
- Create a Success Plan template for your team which includes a feedback loop
And clearly defined expectations
2. Remove barriers for your team in order for them to be successful
Do they need an order form? A bug fixed in the product?
3. Create Trust and Transparency by constantly communicating
There’s some “stuff” we can’t communicate. Got it. But there’s plenty we can to keep our teams focused. Communicate the stuff you can in a way that keeps your team motivated and moving
4. Provide Mentoring and Coaching to your team while holding them accountable to your mutually agreed upon Success Plan
This is NOT your 1:1. This is something different. A mentor is someone other than you, their Leader. Encourage your team to have a mentor/coach or start your own internal coaching/mentor program for your team. Everyone will benefit.
5. Meet and communicate with your peers and Management internally in order to provide clear guidance for you and your team
As a Leader, having your own road map defined is just as important. Because really, how do you direct your team without a clear sense of the end game? And by meeting internally with your peers, you’re able to break down silos, raise everybody’s understanding, and increase engagement.
6. Retain your best people
There is a talent war coming, if not already here, for good and great jobs. By engaging in these activities, you’re on your way to creating an environment your people want to stay in.
7. Hold 1:1’s consistently with your team and your manager
If you do nothing else, take this away. 1:1’s are NOT optional. They are a must. 30 minutes a week or every other week with every person on your team. Care. Help. Be of service. Review expectations, review what’s going well, and review what needs to improve. This regular cadence is the single most important thing we can do as leaders to get to know our people, provide the right guidance, retain our best people, and effectively communicate.
Dionne is a 17 year sales veteran having built and scaled Inside Sales team from the ground up. She recently started her own firm, Inside Sales by Design, to work with small and mid-size companies to share the ultimate best practices of high performing Inside Sales teams. To that end, she recently partnered with Rhonda O’Neill to create PM Inside Sales, an online course teaching the fundamentals that have made her teams so successful.