Holding Sales Teams Accountable: Why is it Hard to Achieve?

Most CEOs and sales leaders agree with the importance of holding team members accountable. 

So, why is it so hard to achieve? 

We have found that accountability becomes a negative experience for leaders who focus solely on “activity and outcomes.” This limits the feedback leaders can provide to “what and how much” each team member should be doing. 

The message received is to simply work harder (not smarter), focusing people on the carrot or the stick and not on how they can improve the quality of their work. When accountability demotivates a team, most leaders today will avoid the conversation altogether.

However, when leaders report metrics that help team members correlate the decisions they make with the actions they take and the outcomes they create (D x A = O), accountability becomes a multiplier … a positive force for change. 

Team members gain insight into patterns that reflect how they think and behave, which allows them to work smarter and harder. 

Team members who have the tools required to master their craft and improve their performance learn to view accountability as a critical part of their own self-management and a powerful source of motivation.

No wonder sales leaders who get it right outperform those who don’t by 4 to 1.

There are four revenue levers we recommend to any CEO or sales leader who wants to elevate their team’s accountability, motivation, and self-management. 

To learn more check out my last article on the subject. And hit me up for a full description of the four revenue levers and how you can apply them to your own business using our FREE Sales Flow Benchmarking Analysis.

We are here to help!

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