All sales managers want successful sales teams. They want reps that can sell effectively and efficiently, meet or exceed their sales targets, and bring in enough revenue to allow their companies to thrive in the future. But, as you know, sales are a fickle thing. Not everyone is good at it—and some will succeed as others fail.

Every sales team has its own unique priorities, processes, cultures, and strengths. Check out these secrets from successful sales teams to figure out why they rock.

1. A Centralized Sales Culture

A great sales rep will have certain qualities and characteristics that allow him to sell like a rockstar, but what about a great sales team as a whole? The most successful sales teams are built upon a strong and centralized culture and share common characteristics that define success.

It’s up to the sales leader to create the top sales environment and culture that will influence the sales team to succeed. The sales leader must establish policies and rules that guide reps during their day-to-day operations. They should dictate direction, while also offering autonomy, space, and flexibility. They should tie their reps’ performance to specific goals. They should encourage competition while also maintaining cohesion. And they should maintain high energy levels by offering support and guidance while encouraging individual sales people to support one another and work as a team.

2. Time Management

The average sales person only spends 35% of his time selling. The rest of the time, he’s writing proposals, prospecting, inputting data, and performing other administrative tasks that don’t generate revenue. Time is your organization’s most valuable asset. The most successful sales teams understand that time management is key to closing more deals.

Sales leaders must tackle time management issues systematically in order to make their sales teams more efficient as an entire group. Using project management software, signing software, and CRMs, along with time tracking tools and other technologies, can ensure that your sales people have enough hours in their days to focus on selling.

3. A Motivational Compensation Plan

Successful sales teams are paid adequately for their hard work. Their organizations create effective sales compensation plans that actually work to motivate and properly compensate them. Their compensation plans are simple and easy to understand, offer the right incentives that encourage desired behaviours, and provide the bonuses and commission needed to attract and retain top sales professionals.

4. Always Learning and Evolving

Any sales team that doesn’t evolve is left in the dust. Sales is a constantly changing field. Changes in customer base, goals, the economy, and consumer behaviours require adjustments, new technologies, new sales processes, and new techniques. The most successful sales teams are continuously learning. They’re learning about new technologies, attending training, conferences, and events, and they’re constantly evolving with the times to ensure that their selling processes are as up-to-date and effective as possible.

5. Accepting Rejection

Morale and motivation are common issues in sales. Sales people face rejection on a daily basis, constantly hearing the word “no” and being hung up on. This can demoralize even the most up-beat sales rep over time. The most successful sales teams never let their motivation or commitment to sales waiver in the face of rejection. They know how to deal with rejection—they talk with one another, they encourage each other, they don’t take the rejection personally, and they are rational about it.

Highly effective sales teams might seem like unicorns in the industry—they’re highly sought after, but they seem to be a myth. Though every sales team will have its weaknesses, the best teams work within a centralized sales culture, prioritize time management, are effectively compensated, are always learning and evolving, and know how to handle rejection. Use these five secrets to improve your own sales team.