What Makes a Sales Team High-Performing?

Exceptional hotel sales teams consistently exceed revenue targets, foster strong customer relationships, and drive business growth. The specific qualities that set these teams apart are among the many topics covered in The Hotel Sales Playbook: Winning Strategies for Success, the study guide for HSMAI Global’s new Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) certification.

Here we share excerpts from Chapter 4: Building and Retaining a High-Performing Sales Team, contributed by Heidi Gempel.

What Makes a Sales Team High-Performing? 

By focusing on these six critical factors, organizations can build and retain a high-performing sales team that drives business growth and achieves long-term success.

1. Empathy

Empathy is essential for understanding clients’ needs and building strong relationships. Sales teams that practice empathy can better address customer concerns and provide tailored solutions, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Creativity

Creativity allows sales teams to develop innovative strategies and solutions. By thinking outside the box, they can identify unique opportunities and approaches that differentiate their offerings from competitors.

 3. Curiosity

Curiosity drives continuous learning and improvement. Salespeople who are curious are more likely to stay informed about industry trends, new products, and customer preferences, enabling them to provide valuable insights and recommendations.

 4. Efficiency & Productivity

Efficiency maximizes team productivity. Effective sales leaders optimize their team’s workflows, implement streamlined processes, and leverage technology to automate administrative tasks. By eliminating inefficiencies, they enable their sales team to focus on revenue-generating activities like building client relationships and closing deals.

 5. Short Feedback Loops

Short feedback loops enable quick adjustments and improvements. Regular feedback helps sales teams identify areas for improvement, refine their strategies, and respond promptly to market changes and customer feedback.

 6. Effective Processes, Procedures, Systems, and Technology

Having effective processes, procedures, systems, and technology in place ensures that sales teams operate smoothly and efficiently. Their sales process leverages technology tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, automated reporting, and data analytics to manage leads, track performance, and facilitate communication and collaboration.

HSMAI Global’s Certified Hotel Sales Leader (CHSL) certification is designed to recognize the expertise of hotel sales leaders, emphasizing the most up-to-date sales and commercial principles, practices, and strategies.

The CHSL certification is tailored for hospitality sales leaders who are proficient in leading high-performing teams, demonstrating overall commercial acumen, applying best practices in hotel sales to drive revenue growth, and more.

Approved applicants will receive a digital copy of the study guide, The Hotel Sales Playbook: Winning Strategies for Success, and complete an online examination covering essential functions of hospitality sales.

This article originally appeared on HSMAI.