Every sales team member must be able to clearly communicate why a prospect should buy from them instead of a competitor. The better their ability to do this, the stronger your sales will be.

Your sales team is only as good as your numbers. Famous football coach Bill Parcels said, “You are what your record says you are.” You are what your number says you are.

You are responsible for every hire. Since you are accountable for the results of your team, make sure you pick your team members.

Don’t be afraid to fire. Not all salespeople work out. Get them off your team. Fire fast.

Stop doing things that aren’t working. Don’t wait. Not everything works. Stop ineffective things quickly.

Be self-aware. Know what you are good at and what you aren’t. Be aware of your own emotions and how they are impacted by various situations.

It’s not about you. Building a great sales team is less about you and more about your ability to bring out the greatness in the people on your team.

Make sales calls with your salespeople. The best way to coach salespeople to better performance is by spending the day with them making sales calls.

Inspire. Sales is hard work; it can be draining and defeating. Inspire your team members to keep going, to move forward, to persevere and to accomplish the impossible.

As the sales leader you set the tone, the expectations, the pace and the style. The body always follows the head. As the leader, you are the head. Your team is the body. Your team will follow you.

Be tough. Greatness comes from pushing people outside of their comfort zone. Push. Don’t be a jerk, but push to create something special.

Treat people differently, but fairly. People are different, and need to be treated that way. An approach that works for one may not work for another.

Be authentic and transparent. Be you. Make sure your actions and words are in line with your beliefs and values. Be honest and open about information important to your team.

Treat people well. Everyone you work with and meet will in turn influence at least 100 people who could one day impact your career or become your customer. Treat everyone with courtesy and respect.

Provide feedback. Feedback and post-call analysis should be regular activities. Formal performance reviews are just an official aggregation of such feedback.

Think ahead. Understand how today’s decisions will impact tomorrow. Hard stuff — but vital for growth.

Have a plan. Execute the plan.

Stay healthy. Nothing happens without a healthy, happy you. Take time to exercise your body and relax your mind. Keep your body in shape to keep your mind in shape.

Make data-driven decisions, but trust your gut. Use the right information to make the right decisions. Your decisions are only as good as the information that goes behind them. When your instincts conflict with the data, trust your gut.

Make salespeople responsible for generating new business. Don’t rely on marketing to generate enough incoming leads to make your number. Hold sales team members accountable for generating new business.

Give salespeople the tools and training they need to succeed, stay out of their way, and help them get stuff done. Less is more.

Don’t give into short-term pressures. Big winners are in the game long term. Don’t book bad deals, or book deals too early.

Protect and nurture your reputation — both your own and that of your company. Your reputation is your equity in the world. Nurture it to watch it grow in value.

Focus on execution. Great execution wins every single time. A great plan can’t overcome poor execution.

Go home. All work and no play makes one dull. You’ll be more effective as a sales leader with proper rest and relaxation.