The sales team is a crucial spoke in the wheel of profitability for any business anywhere. Much like with any other department, the sales team works best when accorded some autonomy to do their work.
As a boss looking to keep in touch with all corners of the business, it’s important to monitor the team in one way or another. Monitoring the sales team is not illegal. It is an employer’s right and responsibility.
For employers looking for unique, non-invasive ways to keep the sales team in their eye-field, the ideas below are effective options.
Locate them using their mobiles
Whether they are cold calling sales leads in-house or out on sales calls with clients, the safest and easiest way to monitor your sales team is by using their mobile phones. Every mobile can be traced to know where its user is by turning on its location and geotagging settings.
Have every member of the sales team turn on these settings on their phone and monitor them remotely using software. You can then discover who is out on personal issues rather than on a sales call.
For even better precision regarding the movements of your sales team, use the Phone Tracker app. It helps you track their movements on a map in addition to all the apps they have used on their device. The Phone Tracker app is not illegal or dangerous, but its developers request installing it with the phone owner’s knowledge.
Schedule regular calls with the team
To monitor your sales team while keeping it professional, use the tactic that many sales managers have employed with great success – setting regular calls with the sales staff. These calls have to be made throughout the day at different intervals to keep the sales team on their toes.
They can be phone calls, video calls or in-person calls, depending on your management style. During each call, the sales team has to disclose its latest numbers, whether it’s new clients or upcoming deals. This method works best when the sales team is large or working in the field, out of your eye.
Regular input of new sales data into spreadsheets
Many companies already employ the data input method for both data management and worker monitoring. The process involves setting up a data entry website or online data entry tool such as an Excel spreadsheet that members of the sales team have to fill regularly with data from their sales call.
These platforms usually time stamp every data entry for easier future access. The employer must have same-time access to this spreadsheet or website to enable real-time monitoring. With this website or platform, employers get to see each sales team member's performance in real-time and gauge it across the board.
Sales team members that post the least entries can be called out to discover their problem and get it solved. Data from this spreadsheet or platform can be used later to build performance reports on the entire sales team.
Employ a sales dashboard
One other way to monitor your sales team's work is by having them use a sales dashboard from a reputed brand to track their sales. It works as both a data management tool and a monitoring platform since you get to see how many sales they are making per hour or not.
Sales dashboards come with the added advantage of being professional. While they may not show you the exact location of each sales team member, they can provide detailed data on how each is producing for the company.