How to engage with your sales team

The relationship between your property management team and your counterparts in sales is, hopefully, very close. While you are focused on two very different functions of the business, there’s absolutely no doubt that alignment in vision and a positive working relationship leads to mutually beneficial business outcomes and a better client experience. And ain’t that what it’s all about?

Here are our top 5 tips for engaging really positively with your colleagues in sales.

1. GET TO KNOW THEM; NOT JUST AS AGENTS BUT AS PEOPLE

It’s a point we really honed in on in our recent piece on the importance of building a strong culture, but it’s so critical that it’s worth restating here: no matter the function or niche, you are always doing business with people; not just a face behind a keyboard. Find out what motivates the sales team, what’s important to them, what gets them up in the morning, learn about their families and their personal lives. Fostering this kind of professional relationship is a wise investment of your time; not least because cohesive teams find ways of collaborating that simply aren’t fathomable in siloed or disjointed ones.

2. INVEST TIME

A sure-fire way to engage with your sales team is to demonstrate that you respect their profession; that you are open to learning lessons from the sales function and building them in to your practice as property managers, if appropriate. One of the biggest mistakes we can make in the property management game is to close ourselves off from the broader industry. Attend the sales team’s meetings, go to training sessions they offer, show up at their events and make sure they know that they are part of your team.

3. DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO

It’s surely a no-brainer, but good working relationships rely on one central ingredient: trust. Ensuring your sales counterparts know that you can be relied on to do exactly what you say you will do, be honest and open and your communication with them and provide advice to clients that aligns with theirs, contributes hugely to building an open and collaborative dialogue which, in turn, improves business outcomes.

4. HOW CAN YOU ADD VALUE?

If you’re not asking yourself the question “how can I help?” regularly, then you’re doing it wrong. As business functions with a significant overlap; your property management people and the sales team are not competing here. Ensuring that you’re focused on improving the client experience so that they get the best advice and feel valued by the business, whether it be from a sales perspective or a property management one is how you should be working together.

5. ENSURE LEADS GO BOTH WAYS

Making sure that your relationship with the sales team, beyond positive conversations and actions leads to tangible results is the ultimate name of the game. Regularly reviewing referral payments and incentives offered is a great way to ensure there’s more than good feeling going on between you and your sales colleagues. And when it comes to it, keep your sales team top of mind and ensure they are ready and waiting to work with any clients when they come to selling.