5 Tips on How To Manage Conflict Within Your Sales Team pot

5 Tips on How To Manage Conflict Within Your Sales Team
To have great sales effectiveness, you have to have a
great sales team. Within all teams, whether they are NBA
players, the neighborhood little league or the company
softball team, there is always opportunity for conflict. The
same goes for sales teams. And for independent, results-
driven sales people, keeping the team in mind may not be
their number one priority. So it’s important that sales
leaders know how to effectively manage team conflict.
A certain amount of team conflict is healthy. It means
individuals are passionate and confident in their ideas and
work. In a great sales team, you need those individuals
who are passionate about both their role in the
organization and the product they are selling.
But what happens when that passion turns into heated
arguments and stubborn battles at work? People become
unhappy and productivity is negatively affected.

The best results when managing team conflict come from being prepared, objective and
sensible! Here are 5 tips on how to effectively manage team conflict:
1. Have a Team Mandate. All members of the sales team must be moving in the
same direction, with the same goals and standards. After presenting and
explaining the mandate, give the team an opportunity to process it clearly and
then contribute their thoughts.

2. Jobfit. When building a great sales team, skill and experience matter – but so do
fit, chemistry and motives. You need to make sure all sales team members have
the right skills and the right behavior for the job.

3. Foster an open, honest, and professional culture. Encourage an environment of
respect and fulfillment. Let your sales team feel comfortable expressing

themselves, sharing ideas and accepting constructive criticism. The more satisfied
the employees, the more productive and effective they are.

4. Get personal with your sales people. It’s a sales manager’s job to know where
the potential for conflict is, and to prevent that conflict from impacting the team’s
sales effectiveness. To do this, you need to know each sales person as best you
can – their personality traits, behaviors, beliefs and their strengths and weaknesses
– so you can best anticipate where problems might arise.

5. Be quick and be sensible. Tackle the problem right away! You’re the manager –
the moment you see a conflict spark, get in there and turn the tension into an
opportunity for growth and team building. Don’t let workplace problems get the
best of you, or your organization.

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