Know-How Exchange : Strategy

First - Individual Accountability. I would start looking for ways to break down future goals into salesperson goals.

Two - Action oriented scorecards - some salespeople need help with the correlation between actions today and sales hitting in say 6 months

Three - a plan for regular review

Lastly - sales skill training

"Make them sell" "my target" ....that's a little off the attitude you want.

If you've set the target without input you're sunk already. If sales people see you as looking out for YOU, you've also lost.

I'd start with an attitude change. Not fake. Think about how you can help THEM succeed for THEM.

Michael

There is a great book by Ron Marks --Managing for Sales Results. It will give you some great basics.

There is no one answer and your question sounds simple, but is a huge questions. I've spent my life learning sales and sales management, and I am still learning.

As others have state-- you can't make them sell for you. To be successful, make them successful. Running salespeople are like herding cats. Learn to lead vs dictate-- but inspect what you expect.

I do interim sales management-- run weekly sales meetings and I ask for a SOFT report-- I want to know Successes, Opportunities, Failures and Threats. Someone will come up with an obstical they can't get thru and the cumulative knowledge of the group starts to solve the issue. It involves everyone and it works well.

Build a plan-- as people leave make sure you attract the right people-- people who have the right skills and will like the job. That is why I got into pre employee assessments vs testing.

Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm

Selling in a panic climate will bury you. Stop thinking about past losses and take a closer look at your own attitude. It is not about you.

Sit down with the sales team and ask them how YOU can make THEM more money? If they make money - you make more. Keep the focus on their pocketbooks. If you can convince them that the goal is to make them wealthy, I think it will be easier to focus on the other goals. If sales people don't get the support they desire then they move on to better opportunities - then you'll be in a pickle.