Sales teams are an essential part of any business. However, it can be hard to recruit and retain good salespeople. In order to build a great team, you need to go where the talent is. Nowadays, that talent is all over the world.
Building a global sales team will ensure your company has close proximity to customers in different time zones and cultures. This guide will go through how to find and hire high-performing sales reps, provide them with the right tools and training, and help them handle pushback or negative feedback from prospects. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to building a world-class SaaS sales team that can reach new customers all over the globe!
Why You Need a Global Sales Team
Today, one of the most effective ways to expand your business is to use a global sales team. This has a lot to do with the importance of time zones and global markets. Your company will be more successful when you have employees in regions all over the world, as they are able to better serve customers all around the globe. This also helps to reduce customer acquisition costs by making it easier for prospects in different time zones to find your product or service.
In order to build a great sales team, you need a deep understanding of how people interact with your product or service in different cultures. What may work for people in one country may not work for people in another country; therefore, it’s important that you include people from many different countries on your sales team.
How to Hire High-Performing Sales Reps
When it comes to hiring sales reps, you need to find candidates with the right personality traits and experience.
Do they want to be a leader or do they want to learn as they go? Are they self-disciplined or do they need hand-holding? Can they thrive in chaos or do they need structure?
It’s also important that your sales reps are happy where they work. If you offer competitive wages then you have an edge on other employers who might offer the same salary but no benefits. In addition, there are many different types of incentives for your sales team that can help motivate them and keep them engaged: a company car is helpful for those who travel frequently; a catered lunch once a week can provide much-needed energy for those who don’t have time to pack their own meals; and finally, bonuses can be an excellent way to reward top performers.
How to Provide Your Team With Training and Support
When you are building and growing a remote team, it's important that your sales reps are empowered to do their best work. They need the right tools and training to be successful in their roles, but also the encouragement and support needed to deal with pushback or negativity from prospects.
The most important thing is to create an atmosphere where each person feels respected and valued for their contributions. This will make them feel like they have a voice within the company, which will keep them engaged and motivated on a day-to-day basis.
Encourage open communication so that people don't feel like they're doing anything alone. The more everyone is aware of what other individuals are working on, the better they can collaborate and help each other out when needed. The goal is for everyone to work together towards common goals so that there's always someone around who can lend a hand.
One way to foster this kind of environment is by setting up weekly check-ins or "stand ups" where each person shares what they've been working on recently and discusses any obstacles or challenges in their role. In these check-ins, have each individual break down what success looks like in relation to their specific tasks, why it's been difficult or easy for them during the week, how much time it takes for them to complete tasks, etc. This gives managers insight into how employees are performing at a high level of detail without having to ask them anything directly--and allows employees themselves recognize any potential areas of
Handling Pushback or Negative Feedback from Prospects
When you’re building a global sales team, there will inevitably be pushback and negative feedback from prospects. This can happen with any company- no matter the industry or location- and is especially common with product-based businesses.
How should you handle this?
In order to prevent bad reviews in your company, you need to provide thorough training. Sales reps should be equipped with the information they need to answer questions buyers might have about your product and its features. For example, if your prospect says that your pricing is too high, the sales rep should know how to explain your features and why the price is reasonable. They should also be prepared for pushback or criticism on delivery timelines, warranties, or return policies. At times like these, it's important for reps to remember that their job isn't just about making a sale; it's also about educating customers so they’re happy with their purchase!
Understanding Pushback
Pushback is a term used to describe when someone becomes defensive and refuses to take on your idea or product. In order to successfully handle pushbacks, you need to understand why they happen. Usually, the person giving the pushback has a reason for doing so, which means you’ll need to find out what their reasons are in order to understand their concerns and convince them otherwise.
The following are some of the most common reasons people give pushback:
- They don’t want anything to change: People often resist change because they’re comfortable with where they currently stand. This is especially true if people have been doing something for a long time and don’t want that experience disrupted by new ideas.
- They don’t know how it would work in practice: Some people have trouble visualizing what you’ve proposed because it’s too abstract. Others won’t accept your proposal because they can't see how it would work in practical terms. By providing real-life examples of how your proposal would work, you can persuade these prospects into accepting your idea instead.
- They have an existing relationship with a competitor: Some prospects will be "locked in" with another company and not want anything that resembles competition in their life. If this is the case, there are ways to handle this concern that could eventually lead them over from one side to the other! The first step is figuring out why they're locked in
Dealing with Negative Feedback
Negative feedback is an inevitable part of doing business. However, it doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your relationship with your customer.
It’s important to know how to handle negative feedback and turn it into a positive experience for both you and the customer. Acknowledge the feedback, empathize with the customer, and offer solutions to fix any problems they may be experiencing. For example, let's say a customer complains about their monthly fees. If you're providing a service that costs $10 per month, then you could offer them an annual plan for $120 per year. That way, they can avoid paying monthly fees and get 12 months of the service instead of just 10!
Conclusion
A sales team that operates globally is a huge asset to your business. By outsourcing your international sales calls, you get the advantage of having your reps build customer relationships in their native language and understand the nuances of each culture. Plus, you’re able to offer a higher level of customer service and customer support, which is important to delivering a great customer experience.
But it’s important to have a strategy in place for hiring, training and managing a global sales team. It’s not always easy to get everyone on the same page and develop a cohesive strategy from afar. That’s why we created this guide for you—to take the guesswork out of the process. The next time you’re thinking about building a global sales team, stop and take a look at this guide first. You’ll be glad you did.
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