Here’s the scoop: a recent study found that just 16% of sales managers effectively hold their teams accountable. Even more concerning is the prevalent reactive approach to accountability, often coming into play only “after the ball has dropped.” This reactivity tends to instill fear and excuse-making, rather than garnering support and enthusiasm.
“Accountability should be a proactive habit, not a last-minute reaction.”
– Jenn Hines
The problem is that a lot of the typical accountability is all about focusing on what’s already gone wrong – lost opportunities, missed numbers, etc. Consequently, this often leads to a lot of finger-pointing and excuses, like blaming the economy, competition, or even your own company. But the thing is, you can’t have it both ways – you can’t have reasons and results. So what you end up with is an excuse culture instead of a culture where everyone takes responsibility for their sales game and results.
It is not uncommon for sales managers to mistakenly conflate accountability with micromanaging their teams. But what we really need to look at is what being proactive with accountability actually looks like.
Proactive accountability begins by establishing clear, mutually agreed-upon goals between managers, leadership, and sales personnel. Achieving commitment necessitates both clarity and buy-in. This is crucial because if you want salespeople to get on board, they need to know and agree to what they’re signing up for to truly commit and do what it takes. Subsequently, these goals should be reverse engineered into the revenue-focused sales activities that drive the results. These activities serve as the leading indicators to which sales representatives should be consistently held accountable.
“Commitment starts with clarity—when goals are clear, accountability follows.”
– Jenn Hines
The diligent tracking of these leading sales activities is pivotal in nurturing an accountable culture, with a consistent focus on revenue-centric indicators. Additionally, regular performance activity meetings (held weekly or bi-weekly) play a crucial role. During these sessions, reps provide concise reports solely on activity numbers, no excuses, no long stories, just the numbers. We like to use three simple questions to keep it all on track and efficient:
1. What did you commit to doing last week (or the last two weeks)?
2. What did you actually do?
3. What are you committing to next week?
And here’s the icing on the cake – peer accountability introduces an invaluable element. When reps know they are reporting their numbers to their peers, a powerful sense of peer accountability ensues. As Patrick Lencioni, renowned author of The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, asserts, peer accountability stands as one of the most potent forms of accountability or taking responsibility.
“When accountability is shared, performance improves.”
– Jenn Hines
Now I get it – some might be skeptical in thinking that the sales team can just fudge the numbers. However, it is essential to emphasize that measuring the right metrics, including conversions, provides both quantitative and qualitative data that not only helps a manager discern if numbers are being misrepresented but also provides insight into where some coaching is needed.
You see, these Performance Activity Meetings empower sales managers to pinpoint areas requiring additional coaching and accountability. For instance, if outbound activity is sufficient but conversions into the next stage of the sales process are deficient, this serves as a clear coaching opportunity. Conversely, consistently low activity levels may signify underlying mindset or behavioral challenges, underscoring the key role of effective and timely coaching in fostering a culture of accountability.
“Coaching and accountability go hand in hand—one supports the other.”
– Jenn Hines
Conversely, when activity levels align with or surpass the agreed-upon goals, this presents an opportune moment for sales managers to provide recognition and celebrate these incremental victories. As I often advocate to managers, consistently investing in someone’s emotional bank account ensures that when it’s time to make a withdrawal, you don’t deplete the account!
Proactive accountability should feel like having your back, not like someone is breathing down your neck or micromanaging. When the sales team trusts their manager to have their best interests in mind and knows they are in it to help them win it, accountability becomes a source of empowerment and engagement. When a manager excels in proactive accountability and a team appreciates this approach, ownership of both successes and failures breeds higher morale, improved forecasting, and more wins. But none of this occurs without a top-down commitment to making it all happen and creating a “no-excuse” culture.
“True accountability creates confidence, not fear.”
– Jenn Hines
