In most sales departments, the best sales people – those in the top ten percent – account for the majority of sales. With this in mind, it makes sense to focus on getting more out of your best sales people when you want to reach new sales goals. Here are four ways you can encourage your best sales people to produce more when you need it most. 

Funnel Support Tasks to Designated Support Staff

Your best sales people should be spending most, if not all, of their time actively selling. This is difficult for sales people to do when they are also responsible for support tasks. Many sales managers spread these tasks among all sales staff with the best of intentions, but when sales are on the line delegating support tasks away from your top sellers might be a better approach. Consider designating support roles to those who are not in your core group of best sales people for the following tasks:

• Stuffing and shipping informational packets
• Updating sales databases with new contacts and activities
• Processing signed contracts and other completed paperwork

Set Personalized Goals Based on Performance

Group and departmental sales goals are a great way to motivate a team. However, your best sales people are most likely already exceeding the base quotas set for the sales team. To get the most out of high performing individuals, nothing can replace personalized attention, which includes personalized goals. Analyze the average sales metrics for each of your best sales people, then make an appointment to meet with each individually and encourage them to agree to new, personalized sales goals, such as:

• Arranging (and completing) more prospect meetings
• Reducing business expenses compared to revenue generated
• Improving conversion rates for leads to meetings, meetings to presentations, and presentations to closing
• Closing more contracts that include up- and/or cross-sold products and services

Provide Recognition for Performance Openly and Often 

Recognition is one of the best motivators that managers can provide to staff in any department. Your best sales people are good at congratulating themselves, but congratulations from you as the sales manager can provide an even bigger boost. This is especially true if you recognize your best sales people openly, in front of executives, peers, and even clients; nothing tells your best sales people that they are appreciated like a willingness to share that appreciation with others. Contemplate instituting the following additional ways to recognize your best sales people. 

• Employee nominated recognition, where sales staff can nominate others for a simple recognition certificate or gift certificate
• Accomplishment centered recognition, where your best sales people receive public recognition for achieving established sales goals
• Executive recognition, where your best sales people are rewarded for achievements with face-to-face time with executives in your organization

Hire the Best Sales People You Can Find

Your best sales people do their best when they are challenged. To create an environment that consistently pushes your best sales people to do better, your hiring should be oriented around hiring the best sales people to join your sales force. Consider that while B players deliver dependable production for your organization, B players do little to compete with A players until and unless they become A players themselves – a goal worth your investment, but one that takes time to accomplish. Adding new top sales people to your sales team sends a clear message that complacency is not enough to compete, and will motivate your best sales people towards healthy competition better than virtually any other action you can take.

Getting more out of your best sales people is not the challenge that you might think; after all, your best sales people are the most motivated individuals you have to rely on. Never be afraid to coach more out of your best sales people when you can depend on the above methods to engage them effectively.