How to build and manage a high-performing sales team

Identify the traits, skills, and experience that predict success in your sales environment. Hire for aptitude and coachability, not just experience. Use structured interviews, role-plays, and scorecards to assess candidates objectively. A players hire A players; protect your culture by setting a high bar and never compromising.

Build a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan: product training, sales process, competitive positioning, tool mastery, and shadowing top performers. Set graduated quotas during ramp. Measure time-to-productivity and continuously improve onboarding based on which reps succeed fastest. Great onboarding accelerates quota attainment.

Define both output goals (quota, pipeline generation) and input activities (calls, meetings, demos). Make expectations transparent and achievable for someone executing the process well. Track leading indicators—activities predict outcomes. Clear expectations eliminate confusion and enable accountability.

Hold weekly 1-on-1s to inspect each rep's pipeline: deal quality, next steps, risks, and coaching needs. Ask questions that help reps think strategically, don't just tell them what to do. Listen to calls and review emails to spot skill gaps. Coaching is the highest-leverage activity for a sales leader.

Run regular training on discovery, demo delivery, objection handling, negotiation, and closing. Bring in top performers to share what's working. Record and review winning calls. Invest in external training and certifications. Great teams are learning organizations where everyone gets better every quarter.

Design comp that rewards the behaviors you want: new business, expansion, retention. Make it simple, transparent, and achievable for good performers. Accelerate commission at higher performance levels. Ensure on-target earnings are competitive. Comp drives behavior—design it to align with company goals.

Celebrate wins publicly and reward excellence. Give top performers stretch opportunities, career growth, and visibility. For underperformers, diagnose root cause (skill, will, fit) and create improvement plans with clear milestones. If they don't improve, exit quickly. Tolerating underperformance demoralizes the team.

Create transparency around performance with leaderboards and deal boards, but balance competition with teamwork. Reward reps who help others succeed. Build camaraderie through team events and shared wins. The best teams push each other to be better while genuinely wanting everyone to succeed.