As a sales manager, you strive to assemble a sales team of high performers; but you also know that a part of your job is to lead and inspire that team. Whether things are going well or you feel like adjustments need to be made, it’s always good to periodically check in with yourself to make sure you’re doing your part in helping your team reach their full potential. Here are 5 tips to make sure you’re getting the most from your sales team:

Watch the competition

A part of being a successful leader and getting the most from your team requires looking outside of your team and monitoring the competition. How are other sales teams performing, statistically speaking? What are their conversions like? Also, what are other sales teams doing? Are they setting strict goals, toying with innovative vacation policies, or using new technology to drive sales? Always keep an eye on the competition to decide where to take your sales team.

Encourage performance

Set reward-based, challenging, realistic goals to help each member of your team stay focused and driven. You can also implement early-leave days and other innovative performance-based incentives to drive your sales team to success. Incentives instill a motivation in your team members that encourages them to take initiative and feel responsible for their own work and success.

Be willing to do the work

If you’re truly a leader and want to work toward getting the most from your team, you have to show them that you’re willing to do the work. Never give your team a workload that you wouldn’t be willing to take on. As a manager, it’s your job to assign workloads, but you should always delegate fairly and be ready to do your share. Making sure your employees feel like you are a part of the team is a key part of keeping things running smoothly and successfully.

Communicate clearly

Communication is the basis for getting the most out of your sales team. Each member should know what you expect from them. Clearly communicating responsibilities, expectations, and goals with each member of your team is important for both individual and team success. This can come in many forms including daily exchanges, regular check-ins about performance, meetings to set and discuss goals, as well as team meetings.

Keep all team members in the loop

Making sure that all team members understand sales goals, interest rate news, loan changes, and other pertinent information is critical to ensuring that your team members are doing their work in the most efficient way possible. Just giving out tasks and micromanaging doesn’t give team members the incentive or drive to succeed; instead give every team member the information needed to see the bigger picture and their piece in it. Let them see how their work factors into the success of the team, give them confidence by keeping them informed, and you’ll watch members feel more empowered and driven.

These aren’t complicated tips, but they are important reminders. There is no one secret tip to managing your team; instead, it’s a process of continually checking in with yourself and your team and seeing how you can improve. These tips highlight some of the most important responsibilities of a great sales manager. If things aren’t working the way you’d like, these tips are a great place to begin your research into what you can do to improve; and they’re an equally good place to start if your team is doing well but you believe they can accomplish more. As a sales manager, keeping these 5 tips in mind will help you and your team continue reaching towards success.