Strife is present in any workplace at one time or another and managers must find a way to reel it in, if they expect peak performances out of their sales teams. Depending on what the conflict is, different approaches will need to be taken to successfully nip the problem in the bud before it gets out of control. Before a manager can successfully handle sales strife, they will need to determine what the root cause of the strife is. Most of the time things are not as they seem, so they may have to dig a little by talking to everyone that is involved. The problem may be deeper than they initially understood.
The Effects of Positive and Negative Conflicts
Positive conflicts are not necessarily such a bad thing. If they are addressed appropriately, then they may even lead to increased productivity within your team. Negative conflicts are what create the real problem. They can lead to poor performances, bad attitudes, and lower sales, since the negativity will create a ripple effect that could potentially spread to your whole team. The best way for a sales manager to handle this strife is to get both conflicting parties together, so that they can confront each other on neutral ground in the presence of the manager. Both parties will be able to air their concerns, while trying to find common ground that will resolve the problem.
Taking the Right Approach
Ending strife will take some consideration, because you don’t want to anger the parties further, to where the situation is exacerbated. If a confrontation between both parties does not work, then you will need to make an attempt to bridge the gap between the parties by acting as a mediator. This will take some compromise, but it will be very hard for your sales team to function in harmony, if a resolution is not found. If all else fails, you will have to make some hard decisions about the structure of your team. If employees are conflicting, then perhaps they will need to be separated so that your team is not constantly surrounded by negativity. If that does not work, then you may be forced to decide if the particular employees that are causing the problem have future positions in your company. The ultimate goal is high sales, and you will need to do what it takes to achieve the results that you need.
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