Whether you’re hiring your first salesperson or growing an existing sales team, salespeople are among your SMB’s most critical keys to success.

Your salespeople are the anchors of your growth strategy because they’re devoting 100% of their time to the one thing you want to accomplish—getting more customers—without being in the weeds of company logistics like you are as the owner or manager.

If you’re new to managing salespeople, you may be wondering how to enable them most effectively, especially if you’ve never worked in a sales capacity. Use these ideas to rethink your approach to guiding sales professionals.

• It starts with how you hire. Think of the best salespeople you know or the person who recently sold you an item you loved. What makes these people excel at sales? Make sure you’re looking for those qualities in interviews and seeking specific examples of how candidates exhibit those qualities.
• Compliment them on what they do best. The most successful salespeople are genuine in their interactions with people and how they help others. It may seem obvious, but affirmations like, “You’re really amazing with people,” or, “People respond to your personality so well,” can be much appreciated.
• Have realistic expectations for training. Brand-new salespeople shouldn’t be expected to hit the ground running and start selling on their first day. Give them plenty of time to get accustomed to your products or services (time will vary depending on the complexity of your offerings) and company culture.
• Keep your sales team ahead of the game. Your salespeople are busy interacting with customers day in and day out. Give them a boost in the market by staying ahead of current trends. Make sure they know what’s now and next when introducing customers to your company.
• Equip them with productivity tools. Listen to feedback on what’s working best. Whether it’s an app for selling on the go like Salesforce1 or travel tools so they can spend more time selling and less time booking flights, make sure salespeople have a full arsenal of productivity aids.
• Keep them looped in on strategic direction and upcoming new features. A knowledge-empowered salesperson is an enabled salesperson. Make sure your sales team knows what’s next in products and services so they can effectively answer customer questions, presenting the full picture of what your small business offers.
• Know when it’s time to give a reward. Connecting non-stop with potential customers isn’t easy. Provide meaningful rewards for salespeople who contribute to your growth.

You can create your company’s most passionate and motivated evangelists when you hire your sales team. Combine the right people with the right enablement and you’ll have a team of motivated partners who are inspired to help you succeed.

If you’re ready to discover how Salesforce can transform your small business, download our free e-book with tips from successful entrepreneurs.