12 Essential Sales Management Principles

Setting New Years' goals has always been a great idea. I set them myself. The process helps me review the positives and negatives of the prior year and focus my efforts for the year ahead.

However, most of us need a set of guiding principles that inspire in January, April and August - anytime during the year.

I'd like to share my sales management principles with you:

• Set challenging sales revenue goals

• Break those goals down into manageable pieces (monthly / quarterly)

• Communicate progress towards the revenue goal regularly

• Know the greatest strength and biggest shortcoming for each salesperson

• Produce an individualized sales plan for every rep

• Commit to their continuous improvement

• Hold all reps accountable to revenue goals and sales plans

• Take action with non-producers

• Cultivate potential future sales leaders

• Banish negativity

• Be relentlessly positive

• Stay focused on your role: coaching and motivating the sales representatives

Last week, I posted these principles on LinkedIn and asked other sales leadership professionals to share theirs. People responded with interesting and thoughtful comments. If you have a guiding principle you'd like to share, please comment on my post.