Article of Interest: How to Build a Great Sales Team

Let's face it, we all want a winning sales team.  But why is it so many of us fall short of building one?  Is it "us" or is it "them?"  Or is it something else?

Clearly, the best sales forces have both excellent salespeople and excellent managers.  A team of ...

Read the entire Harvard Business Review blog post here.

A few interesting reader's comments:

•  You need to get the right person at the driving seat and let him or her run with it. A great manager will get great people working for him and ensure the organization is benefited.

•  Few organizations have any substantial programs for sales managers, much less real sales leadership.  Yet, sales team leaders and sales “managers” are the most critical element for success because they define and drive the culture for each sales person and the sales team.

•  What were great managers before they were great managers?  As far as I know, you don't just get promoted into a management role - you have to earn that right, build that experience and then win the position.  I would disagree and say that all great managers, at one time or another, were great sales people.  "You can't know where you're going, unless you remember where you came from."

 What's your experience?  How have you developed a best sales force?  We welcome hearing from you!