In 2002, Marie Guion-Johnson’s 41-year-old husband, Rob, died after going into cardiac arrest while swimming. That experience led Guion-Johnson to start the company Aum Cardiovascular and invent the CADence, a small device that doctors hold over a patient’s chest to detect blockages often missed by other tests. At the end of the article, the interviewer asked, “What does the company’s name mean?” Aum is an ancient Sanskrit symbol that refers to a low humming sound, the same sound heard from a diseased coronary artery. But when she’s asked by potential financial backers, she says it means “assets under management.” That got me thinking about sales managers and their assets—people.

As a sales VP or manager, your only asset is your people. You don’t own equipment, buildings, or other capital. You don’t really own the people either, but the company has placed its trust in you to manage the assets it has invested in. And, believe it or not, some of those “assets” have also placed their trust in you. So, how are you doing?

What “assets under management” means for sales leaders

If you were to look at your people as an investment portfolio, are you getting the ROI you expected or should expect based on the investment of time, money, and effort? As a total portfolio, you may be exceeding your objectives, but what about the individual assets? How are you doing with each of the team members you’ve recruited, hired, and onboarded? Unlike your personal investments, where you probably have an investment or money manager, you are the one managing this portfolio. Are you doing the things you should be doing to maximize the return?

5 Must-Dos to Maximize your Assets Under Management

1. Honest assessment of individual holdings: First, don’t treat them all the same. The bond isn’t supposed to perform like your growth fund or equity holding. But is it performing as expected? If not, why not?

2. Assess the “why not.” Looking only at the return, pipeline, or sales results isn’t enough. You have to get beyond the symptoms (not calling enough, not converting effort into opportunity, not closing) and uncover the root causes of underperformance.

3. Have the fierce conversation (not aggressive, not punitive) about current performance versus expectations. Use data and your recruiting file in this discussion: “This is what I’m getting” (show effort and results data) versus “This is what I thought I hired” (show the résumé, interview notes, and contract). Then ask, “Did I make a hiring mistake?”

4. Agree on the problem. Ask questions rather than telling them what you see as missing in their effort or execution. Just like in selling, if you get the person to recognize and verbalize the issues or challenges, they own them. When the discussion ends, ask, “Is this where you want to be?” (They’ll say no.) Then ask, “Are you sure?” (They’ll say yes.) Finally, “Does this mean you’re willing to do everything possible to succeed?” (They’ll say yes, assuming they pass the intelligence test.)

5. Develop a disciplined approach to get them back on track. Create a plan with specific times for activity, clear behaviors to inspect, details about joint work, and scheduled coaching meetings. All of this should help the person you believed would be a superstar get back on track for success. 

Catch Issues Early

Here’s the kicker: you must recognize and address these problems as early as possible. Do not be satisfied with making progress, trending in the right direction, or thinking they haven’t hit their stride yet. Don’t make excuses for lack of effort or execution. Identify the problems early, address them, take corrective action, or, as you would with an underperforming asset, sell.

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FAQ: Sales Team Performance Management

What is sales team performance management?
It is the ongoing process of setting expectations, inspecting effort and execution, coaching to behaviors, and measuring outcomes so the team delivers predictable results.

How often should I review individual performance?
Weekly for activity and pipeline movement, monthly for conversion ratios and skill focus, quarterly for role fit and long-term development.

What data should I inspect beyond closed deals?
Prospecting blocks completed, first meetings set and kept, second meetings advanced, proposal-to-close ratios, average deal size, cycle time, and calendar discipline.

How do I handle a persistently underperforming rep?
Use a time-bound improvement plan with clear metrics and support. If behavior and results do not change, reassign or exit quickly to protect the portfolio.

How is this different from micromanagement?
Micromanagement fixes tasks. Performance management clarifies outcomes, inspects leading indicators, and coaches skills while preserving autonomy and accountability.

What Makes a Successful Salesperson?

Let’s start by evaluating what makes a successful salesperson. We recently asked the participants of a workshop to identify and share the habits they believed contributed to the success of their best salespeople. Below are some of the common habits identified:

• Develops great relationships
• Networks regularly
• Practices good time management
• Gets to decision makers
• Is selective in prospecting
• Provides exceptional customer service

Then we asked them to talk about the flip side of the list—those habits that inhibited or hurt a salesperson’s ability to close more business. Below are some of the habits they identified:

• Sells on price
• Inconsistent prospecting
• Procrastinates
• Presents to the wrong people
• Does not fully qualify prospects
• Poor prioritization
• Is too comfortable

These desired sales behaviors provide insights into which habits are most important for sales leadership in developing and motivating salespeople.

The Role of Sales Management Habits in Leadership

We partner with and utilize the most recognized sales evaluation in the industry by Objective Management Group. To avoid guessing about what contributes to effective sales management habits, here are the core competencies taken from their sales management evaluation below. Take a moment to review the list and reflect on how effective you are in these areas.

This comprehensive list of competencies has layers of effective sales management habits beneath it. Let’s focus solely on the skills of a great coach—one of the most critical roles of an effective sales leader—as managers should be spending at least 50% of their time coaching.

Coaching Habits That Drive Sales Growth

Here is a list of skills and habits necessary for successful sales coaching:

•  Consistently coaches
• Has a passion for coaching
• Debriefs sales calls effectively
• Stays in the moment
• Asks enough quality questions
• Does not need approval from salespeople
• Handles joint calls effectively
• Does not rescue salespeople
• Implements and coaches the execution of a consistent sales process
• Is effective at getting commitments
• Coaches to improve skill and change behavior
• Knows how and why people buy

It’s not enough to just have the skill. For managers to be successful at building a sales team for growth, they must be in the habit of using those skills. One of the most important sales management habits is scheduling coaching time on the calendar with a focus on improving skills, not just coaching a deal at hand.

Building Extraordinary Sales Managers

Being an extraordinary sales manager is challenging and time-consuming. It requires attention to detail, the ability to have tough conversations with those who are not meeting their numbers, the desire and commitment to grow yourself and your salespeople, consistent activity, and patience.

The rewards: like the coach of a winning team or conductor of an extraordinary symphony, you have the ability to positively affect the success and lives of your salespeople and company by cultivating effective sales management habits.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sales Management Habits

1. What are sales management habits?
Sales management habits are the consistent behaviors, routines, and practices that sales leaders use to coach, manage, and develop their teams. These habits shape performance, accountability, and long-term sales growth.

2. Why are sales management habits important?
Strong sales management habits create structure, improve coaching effectiveness, and ensure that sales teams are consistently meeting and exceeding goals. Without these habits, performance often becomes inconsistent and results unpredictable.

3. What are examples of effective sales management habits?
Examples include regularly coaching salespeople, setting clear expectations, holding team members accountable, tracking performance metrics, and investing time in skill development.

4. How can I improve my sales management habits?
Start by scheduling consistent coaching sessions, reviewing sales activities instead of only results, and developing systems that support recruiting, performance management, and accountability.

5. How much time should managers spend coaching as part of sales management habits?
Industry best practices suggest that managers should spend at least 50% of their time coaching. This habit ensures skill development, behavior change, and stronger sales outcomes.

The obvious way to measure sales performance is by results. If a salesperson is hitting or exceeding goal, that looks good on the surface. But what about the majority of your team who are not? Numbers alone tell you what is happening, but not why. That’s where a sales skills assessment comes in.

Key Data Points in a Sales Skills Assessment

To get a true picture of performance, you need to go beyond outcomes and evaluate behaviors, skills, and effort. Consider these areas:

• Critical ratios

  • Effort: Are they making dials, networking, and using LinkedIn effectively?

  • Effectiveness: What do ratios tell you? For example, if only 10% of conversations result in an appointment, is that good enough?

• Observation

  • Joint calls: Are they following the company sales process?

  • Execution of sales fundamentals: Are they asking enough of the right questions, weaving in stories and analogies, listening actively, and digging deeper to understand client problems?

• Role-playing

  • Do they understand and demonstrate your sales process?

  • Can they articulate what consultative, client-focused selling really means?

  • Do they show the same skills in a practice setting that you expect in the field?

• Pipeline and activity data

  • Is the pipeline growing in volume and reliability?

  • How does their performance rank compared to peers?

  • Are they putting in enough effort to create opportunities for success?

The Honest Question: Would You Buy from This Salesperson?

An effective way to evaluate skills is to role-play or observe live selling situations and then ask yourself one honest question: Would I buy from this salesperson?

Your answer will likely fall into one of four categories:

1. I would not buy from this person. In fact, I’d love to compete against them.

2. I would not buy from them right now based on what I just saw or heard.

3. I’m undecided. I need more information or more time to make up my mind.

4. I would buy from this person. They engaged me, uncovered problems I need to address, and made me think about changing vendors or spending money I hadn’t planned to.

One client recently held a sales meeting with an hour of role-play around a single sales step. At the end, a product specialist remarked, “With the exception of two people, I don’t believe I would buy from anyone else I saw in that one hour.” That is the kind of courageous, honest feedback that defines a true sales skills assessment.

What Sales Leaders Must Bring to the Table

Performance management is not just about observing your team. It also requires the right mindset and habits as a leader:

• Supportive coaching beliefs – If you think people will only perform well if they like you, you’re in trouble.

• Resilience to rejection – You must be willing to tell someone the hard truth, even if it stings.

• Understanding of desire and commitment – If a salesperson isn’t fully committed, you’ll find yourself addressing the same problems repeatedly.

• Data analysis skills – Without digging into the right data, coaching is guesswork.

• Time allocation – If you’re not doing ride-alongs or role-plays, you’re missing two non-negotiable assessment opportunities.

The Bottom Line

Effective sales leaders know that an honest sales skills assessment must be done regularly. Ask yourself: Would I buy from this salesperson? The answer will drive deeper, more actionable coaching conversations. While it may be uncomfortable, and you may even lose someone along the way, it often inspires salespeople to sharpen their skills and elevate their performance.

FAQ: Sales Skills Assessment

What is a sales skills assessment?
It is a structured evaluation of a salesperson’s behaviors, effort, and skills beyond just sales results. It helps identify why someone is or isn’t performing.

Why is a sales skills assessment important?
Because results alone don’t show the root cause. Assessments uncover gaps in effort, execution, and understanding that you can address through coaching.

How often should sales leaders conduct a sales skills assessment?
Regularly. Role-plays, ride-alongs, and data reviews should be ongoing, not just once or twice a year.

What are common areas to measure in a sales skills assessment?
Critical activity ratios, joint call performance, role-play ability, pipeline strength, and sales activity levels.

How can a sales skills assessment improve results?
By identifying specific skill gaps, leaders can coach more effectively, leading to stronger pipelines, higher conversion ratios, and better long-term performance.

Why Sales Accountability Matters

Most companies want accountability but focus on the wrong metrics. They track closed sales as the main measurement. The problem is that closed sales are lagging indicators. Looking only at closes is like driving while staring in the rearview mirror. You see what has already happened, but you miss the predictive activity that drives future success.

Instead, we need to measure forward-looking metrics such as:

• Prospecting dials made

• Appointments set

• Appointments kept

• Second meetings scheduled

Tracking these activities gives sales leaders critical ratios, such as dials to first appointments or dials to closed sales. With this data, you can set intelligent goals and begin to coach true sales accountability.

Coaching at Every Step of the Process

Effective managers track and inspect each step of the sales process, from initial calls to proposals and closes. When you hold salespeople accountable for activity, you gain the ability to predict outcomes with much greater accuracy.

For example, if Jane typically averages 15 calls for every closed deal, but she is only making 10 calls, it is no surprise she is missing her goals. Without accountability to her ratios, she cannot improve.

The Role of Consequences in Accountability

Tracking numbers only works if the data is used to hold people accountable to promised goals. This requires tough conversations. Ask each salesperson:

“What will happen if you do not reach this goal? What are the consequences if you don’t achieve Extraordinary?”

This shifts responsibility back to the salesperson. If Bill shrugs and says, “Maybe next month,” you may not have the right person in the role. If he is serious, he will connect his missed goals to personal consequences such as financial strain or delayed family plans.

Eliminating Excuses in Sales

Excuses are one of the biggest barriers to accountability. In Objective Management Group’s assessments, about 66% of salespeople admit to making excuses for poor performance. They blame the company, the competition, or the market instead of taking ownership. Left unchecked, this mindset lowers standards across the organization.

Consider this example: Jane misses her call goal because she was busy handling operational issues. She blames the company. Your response should be, “Jane, if I did not let you use that as an excuse, what would you have done differently?”

This question forces her to think through the problem and identify what must change. It removes the option of excuse-making and reinforces accountability.

Building a No-Excuses Culture

Sales accountability is a full-time job. Excuses will always surface in new forms, so train yourself to recognize them and respond consistently. Practice using the critical accountability question:

“If I did not let you use that excuse, what would you have done differently?”

Use it often and you will notice how quickly it changes the tone of conversations. Over time, it helps create a culture where salespeople own their results, and managers can coach to meaningful behaviors instead of debating excuses.

FAQ: Sales Accountability

What is sales accountability?
Sales accountability is the practice of tracking and inspecting key sales activities, then holding salespeople responsible for meeting their promised goals and activity levels.

Why is sales accountability important?
It creates predictability in sales results, eliminates excuse-making, and ensures salespeople focus on the right activities that drive revenue.

What metrics should managers track for sales accountability?
Instead of only tracking closed deals, managers should monitor calls made, appointments set and kept, second meetings, proposals, and conversion ratios.

How can managers address excuses from salespeople?
By using the accountability question: “If I did not let you use that as an excuse, what would you have done differently?” This shifts responsibility back to the salesperson.

How does sales accountability improve sales performance?
When salespeople know they will be held to activity standards and ratios, they adjust behaviors proactively. This increases consistency, accuracy in forecasting, and overall sales growth.

Why Sales Habits Matter

As an educator by degree, I learned early on that behaviors and habits are shaped by rewards and consequences. Developing effective sales habits follows the same pattern.

• Good habits contribute to the achievement of your goals and objectives.

• Bad habits take you further away from those goals.

• Consistency depends on your level of commitment. If you are serious about long-term success, good sales habits stick.

• Lack of consistency often signals a lack of true commitment.

• Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

Often the habits that matter most do not feel urgent. Exercising, eating well, getting enough sleep, prospecting, or blogging may not demand your immediate attention. But they quickly become urgent when a crisis hits, such as a health scare or being placed on a performance improvement plan.

Your sales habits are a direct reflection of your commitments.

5 Steps to Better Sales Habits

If you want to improve your results, here are five steps to building better sales habits:

1. Identify goals and objectives that are non-negotiable.

2. Create a detailed plan to achieve those goals.

3. Use a system to track your progress and the activities that lead to success.

4. Inspect what you expect. Regularly evaluate whether you are on track.

5. Find an accountability partner who cares enough to hold you responsible.

Developing strong sales habits takes discipline, but the rewards are worth it. When you focus on building consistency, your actions align with your goals and long-term success follows.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sales Habits

1. What are sales habits?
Sales habits are the consistent actions and behaviors that help salespeople reach their goals. Examples include prospecting daily, following up with leads, and tracking pipeline activity.

2. Why are sales habits important for success?
Strong sales habits create discipline and consistency. They keep salespeople focused on the activities that drive results, even when motivation fades.

3. How long does it take to build new sales habits?
It often takes several weeks of consistent effort to form a new habit. The key is commitment and accountability to stay on track until the behavior becomes routine.

4. What are examples of bad sales habits?
Bad sales habits include inconsistent follow-up, failing to track activity, avoiding prospecting, and letting distractions replace high-value selling tasks.

5. How can I stay consistent with good sales habits?
Use a clear plan, track progress daily, and partner with an accountability coach or manager. Commitment to long-term goals helps make sales habits stick.