How to Build a Sales Department: 7 Roles & Tips

Every successful business or organisation has a bunch of people striving hard behind the scenes to help the business flourish. In the field of sales, this group of professionals comprises the sales team. The sales team has the collective power to drive or wreck a business. This makes them the backbone (quite literally) of the business.

What makes a great sales team and how to build and maintain one? This is one of the few important questions that shall be addressed in this blog.

If this piques your curiosity, keep reading!

Or, if you’re a budding sales rep looking to understand your role better, we've got material for you too.

What is a sales team?

A sales team refers to the group of individuals who are responsible for driving the revenue of a company by selling the products or services. Their task involves finding and interacting with prospects, understanding the intricacies of their needs, and offering potential solutions for their pain points.

The sales team consists of several members such as:

• Sales development representatives (SDRs)
• Account executives(AEs)
• Customer success representatives
• Sales manager
• Sales specialist

What makes a sales team great?

There are specific characteristics that separate a great sales team from an average one, some of which are:

• Resilience: Sales is one such field where there will often be a plethora of ‘Nos’ before a big 'Yes’ comes along, and a great sales team is always prepared to handle rejections and disappointments gracefully. It is also beneficial to reflect upon what went wrong and what could have been done differently, and the learnings can be implemented the next time. Resilience becomes an important skill in staying motivated and learning from each setback.
• Proactive and goal-oriented: A great sales team knows what their targets are and is always working towards achieving them. They are go-getters and will focus their efforts into achieving goals efficiently.
• Data-driven decision making: The best sales teams will collect and use data efficiently to understand areas of improvement and areas of growth. For example, if certain email templates lead to higher response rates, sales teams can adjust the outreach strategy to focus on those successful templates. Or, if a certain kind of pitch isn’t effective among numerous clients, it can be altered however necessary.
• Flexibility and adaptability: A good sales team isn’t afraid to adapt to market trends and make necessary changes wherever necessary. They are willing to modify their strategies according to market shifts. In an ever-evolving market and world, the only way to progress is through change.
• Teamwork and collaboration: Strong teamwork and collaboration among the sales team can enhance the rate at which goals are achieved. When sales teams are willing to work together by sharing effective inputs and tips, it leads to overall improvement. Although healthy competition is important, it’s also important that sales people work together as a whole for their own growth and that of the company.
• Constantly improving and ever evolving: The best sales teams are always looking for ways to improve. A well trained sales team is unbeatable and can achieve goals and targets ten times more efficiently than an untrained team. Great businesses understand this and invest considerable time into training their sales team.
• Prioritising the customer:  A good sales team actively listens and understands the customer’s needs and tries their best to provide tailored solutions. They regularly check in with existing customers to ensure that they have had a satisfactory experience.
• Effective communication: Being able to effectively communicate complex product features into simple terms is a skill that makes a rep stand out. This skill makes it easy to communicate important technical information with various clients even if they may not be familiar with the technical lingo.‍
• Leveraging AI tools and technology: A skilled sales team utilizes technology to automate repetitive tasks so that they can focus on other important aspects of the sales process.

What are the responsibilities of a sales team?

Several people together form the sales team, and each person has a different function to serve.

Let's understand some of the sales roles and responsibilities.

Sales Development Representative is responsible for:

• Lead generation 
• Qualifying prospects 
• Initial outreach 
• Maintaining records

Business Development Representative is responsible for:

• Building partnerships
• Conducting market research and analysis 
• Initiate negotiations
• Pipeline management 

Account Executive is responsible for:

• Closing deals
• Client onboarding 
• Upselling and cross selling 
• Account management 

Sales Manager is responsible for:

• Leadership 
• Strategy development 
• Performance monitoring 
• Resource allocation

What is the importance of teamwork among sales teams?

It's important that the sales team works together to achieve company goals especially in today's ever expanding and competitive business environment. Teamwork leads to efficiency and faster results.

Here are a few reasons why teamwork matters:

• Increased efficiency: By sharing information and resources, team members can close deals faster and avoid duplicated efforts.‍
• Improved knowledge sharing: Teamwork allows salespeople to share and discuss strategies, insights which enhances individual and team performance.‍
• Better problem solving: Teams who resolve issues and tackle challenges collectively can find solutions to customers' pain points at a much faster pace.‍
• Builds Trust: A collaborative environment fosters trust, which strengthens team cohesion and motivates them to do well.

Why is a sales team important?

A sales team can make or break a company. Literally. This is because they are responsible for collectively achieving the goals of the company.

Here are a few key reasons that make their role significant:

• Revenue generation 
• Customer acquisition 
• Customer retention 
• Product knowledge 
• Building trust and maintaining customer relationships
• Business growth

There is someone handling basic functions such as cold calls to signing important contracts, and no role is insignificant. Hence, the sales team is literally the backbone of a company.

How to build an effective sales team?

• Decide the kind of team your company needs
• Hire the right people
• Creating a sales process that’s timeless
• Decide which KPIs will best measure success
• Continuous training and motivation of the sales team
• Using the right sales tools
• Improve employee retention

What are the key sales team structures?

Functional structure

Geographic structure

Market-Based structure

Product structure

Hybrid or combination structure

The assembly line structure

The pod structure

The island structure

What mistakes to avoid while building a sales team?

• Not utilizing an established criteria for hiring
• Not providing necessary training post-onboarding
• Not ensuring that sales and marketing teams are well aligned
• Overemphasis on forecasting and neglecting coaching

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