by David Pangaribuan

Created on: April 24, 2009   Last Updated: April 25, 2009

Most sales teams are overflowing with underperformers, from those who are consistently far below quota to those who meet quota but could be performing on a much higher level to some of the top salespeople who haven't reached their full potential but who just can't seem to find a way to step up another notch or two.

All of these underperformers are costing the company moneyeven those top salespeople who have reached a plateau they can't seem to climb above. Lost sales, wasted training dollars, discontent and anxiety, and turnover are just a few of the serious issues associated with underperforming sales teams.

Traditionally, managers have focused their attention on those salespeople who are not meeting quota, allowing those who are performing at a minimum acceptable level to continue without being challenged to stretch themselves, to maximize their performance. Most managers are concerned about production quotas and goals, not maximizing the performance of each individual on their team.

Time is partly to blame for this focus on only those salespeople who are not meeting quota. But it is hardly the only factor. In reality, it's not the primary factor.

Managers concentrate only on the non-quota achievers simply because they don't know how to help their salespeople fully develop their potential. That isn't an indictment of managers most have never been given a process to help develop their team members. The average sales manager uses motivation,' the carrot of a reward, extra sales training in the form of sales books, tapes, or seminars, and anything else they can think of to get their bottom dwellers to reach quota, including the ultimate weapon the threat of being let go.

Yet, it is the responsibility of every sales manager to work to get each of their team members to reach their maximum potential. It's their primary responsibility. In a very real sense, it's their only job.

Nevertheless, how do you get team members to maximize their potential if you don't know how to do it?

Here are four ways to get the process started:

1. Like any other salesperson, manager, or executive, sales managers need a coach. The coach should be someone who not only can give guidance and encouragement, but someone who has been where they have been and knows how to get the most from each member of the sales team. In other words, the coach has to be coach, trainer, motivator, disciplinarian, and confidant. Hiring or having the company hire a coach for you who knows the process of how to develop

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