7 Benefits of Effective Communication with Sales Reps

Communication is the key to any relationship, be it personal or professional. Lack of communication can strain relationships in many ways especially if you are working in a sales organization. Nowadays, organizations pay a hefty amount of money to PRs and marketing agencies to improvise their external communication but in this attempt, they tend to forget that internal communication is the pillar of any organization.

"Like a human, a company has to have an internal communication mechanism, a "nervous system", to coordinate its actions."

This quote from Bill Gates says it all. Internal communication is all about effective communication among employees and employers within an organization. It is not just restrained for one team or one department. It is everyone's responsibility including top-level management, managers, and employees at all levels. You might be thinking "why is communication with sales reps important" and “why should you care"

Here are 7 key reasons why the sales operations team needs to communicate frequently with sales reps

1. Sense of Purpose Communicating effectively with your employees will give you a clear understanding of their needs, desires, and any obstacles they are facing. It's important to make sure to talk to them in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. This will not only motivate them but provide a sense of purpose amongst them and also create a culture of appreciation in your organization.
2. Customer Satisfaction It is a human tendency to do a better job when they are happy. The same applies to sales reps. If they are not happy at work, the customers can feel it. And this doesn’t create a positive impression about your brand on the customer’s mind. This is where communication comes into play. How you are perceived as a brand heavily depends on the sales representatives, thus the organization must make sure they know how their employees are feeling, if they are being overloaded with work, etc.
3. Expectation Setting Each and every member of the organization should know where they are heading. It is seen that often employees are unaware of their responsibilities which in turn creates a road-block in the company’s growth. Hence, sales reps should be well informed about the organizational goals and how they translate into their quota. This can be done through different channels of communication and it helps to set the right expectations with sales reps.
4. Retention The better the internal communication, the better is the work environment and employee engagement. A well-established communication system makes the working of the organization easier and smoother. This motivates the sales reps to be more productive and efficient, which in turn increases the sales revenue.
5. Customer Feedback The existence of any organization is based on its customers. What is good for customers is good for business. The most direct communication your customers have is with your sales reps. Hence, internal communication with your employees is the best way to know what is in your customer’s minds, their feedback on your product and services, and their experience. In short, to feel more connected with your customers you need to be connected with your sales reps.
6. Transparency Another aspect that is to be taken into consideration is transparency. Communication enhances trust, transparency and creates a rumor free work environment. People don’t like to be kept in the dark. If there is no secrecy, it can make the employees work more efficiently. Even during times of crisis, being transparent always helps.
7. Improves HR Practices Effective HR management is incomplete unless you communicate with your sales reps. You need to take care of their well-being, take feedback from them, etc. Through this, you will get to know what they want and it will also help you to address their concerns and reframe a few policies that will meet their needs.

Conclusion

If this is your first time building a communication strategy, keep in mind that communication is a continuous and evolving process. Be sure to talk with your sales reps and gather feedback from them regularly. Effective communication helps develop a sense of purpose among sales reps motivating them to achieve their sales targets and also ensures a positive future for your organization. If you don’t have a culture of communication amongst your sales team, it is never too late to establish it.