Mastering sales management: how SMBs can close more deals and grow faster

An effective sales management process ensures every aspect of your company’s collective sales effort works efficiently.

Yet many smaller businesses struggle to organize sales activities, align the team around clear goals and move deals consistently through the pipeline.

In this article, we examine how to use sales management for better results. Learn about its impact on the sales process and how the right technology can improve how you manage sales.

Sales management key takeaways

• Sales management keeps your team and processes organized so deals move smoothly from lead to close.

• Good sales management helps your team work smarter and gives customers a consistent, professional experience.

• Without sales management, it’s easy to lose track of deals – tracking activities and adjusting your process keeps the pipeline moving and drives better results.

• A CRM like Pipedrive makes it easy to see your pipeline, automate tasks and grow revenue – try the free 14-day trial today.

What is sales management?

Sales management (or sales mgmt) involves developing a capable sales force, organizing sales efforts and implementing sales techniques that allow your business to achieve its sales goals.

The secret to boosting sales in any industry is precise sales management processes. For example, setting up a sales pipeline helps your team track leads from first contact through to closing, so everyone knows what to focus on next.

A great sales manager can lead this effort and inspire the whole sales department.

Once you have a clear picture of your sales processes and how to keep track of them, you can pinpoint issues early on, deliver sales coaching and have a clearer overview of which tasks the team should focus on to increase sales.

Find out more about the sales management process in this video:

The 3 key aspects of sales management

Understanding the key aspects of sales management helps you organize your sales strategy, support your sales teams and create a more consistent path to closing deals.

There are three umbrellas to manage within the sales process:

• Sales operations

• Sales strategy

• Sales analysis

The exact process varies from business to business, but these are the starting points. We’ll discuss each point in more detail below.

1. Sales operations: building the team

Sales operations focus on building the structure, processes and support systems that help a sales team succeed.

At the heart of that effort is creating a strong, well-supported team that can consistently connect your product with the right customers.

Here are some ways to enhance your sales team management:

• Focus on sales enablement. Sales team members should have the resources to progress instead of only being money-making machines.

Prioritize training. Train new talent and develop their skills from onboarding forward, regardless of their sales experience and sales certifications. Train them to understand your product in depth and represent your brand effectively so they can answer questions confidently and build trust with potential customers.

• Encourage collaboration. The sales team you manage must work as individuals within a collaborative unit. This approach will result in fewer errors and more achievements for the sales force and the broader company.

• Set realistic targets. Give your team ambitious yet realistic sales targets. Measuring the right key performance indicators (KPIs) will help you prepare them for success.

Here are some ways to set realistic yet ambitious targets:

• Set business development targets for each sales activity

• Assign territories for team members to manage

• Establish goals and sales quotas

Sales managers should also support the team throughout the sales process, ensuring they’re still on track and motivating them when needed.

Consider what experiences drove you throughout your career and use them to inspire and motivate your sales team. On the other hand, remember to share your disappointments and failures, explain how you overcame those challenges and offer support during difficult periods.

2. Sales strategy: defining the sales process

Sales strategy involves defining a clear sales process, so your team knows exactly how to move prospects from first contact to a closed deal in a consistent, repeatable way.

Every business has a sales cycle. This series of tasks helps a company’s product reach its users. A sales pipeline, or sales funnel, makes it easier to organize these tasks and complete deals.

A sales pipeline is a visual tool for tracking prospects and leads as they move through the various stages of the buying journey. It helps salespeople organize their work into stages, from lead generation to first contact to closing the deal.

For example, this is what a pipeline view looks like in Pipedrive:

Keeping salespeople accountable for performance is also an essential part of the sales manager’s job, and that's where sales reporting comes in.

3. Sales analysis: reporting

Reporting helps you understand how your current sales management strategy affects your company’s success and how you can improve your efforts – whether by hiring more salespeople or redistributing tasks.

Successful sales reporting involves using sales metrics or quantifiable indicators that show you how each aspect of your sales operations performs and whether you achieved your targets.

Measure these four metrics with the standard sales funnel:

1. Number of deals

2. Average deal size in your funnel

3. Close ratio, or average percentage of deals won

4. Sales velocity, or average deal lifetime before closing

Collecting this sales data will help you find ideal customers. You’ll see which types of customers move through the process fastest and who spends the most.

A CRM or sales management tool will help you gather this information in reports and dashboards, optimizing your sales management process.

Once you figure out how to keep buyers coming back, you’ll improve customer retention.

5 steps of the sales management process

Effective sales management is a continuous process of guiding your team, tracking performance and improving results over time.

The process can be broken down into the following five steps.

1. Plan your sales strategy and targets

Every effective sales management process starts with a clear plan that defines what your team is trying to achieve and how they’ll achieve it.

For SMBs, this usually means setting practical revenue targets, identifying your most valuable customer segments and deciding which channels your team will use to reach them.

For example, you might focus on inbound leads from marketing strategies, outbound prospecting or referrals from existing customers.

This planning stage is also where sales leaders establish the sales structure and process the team will follow. That includes defining pipeline stages, assigning territories or industries to sales staff and deciding how to qualify leads before they move further into the pipeline.

Without this step, sales activity tends to become reactive. With it, the team has a clear direction and understands exactly what success looks like.

2. Execute the sales process and engage prospects

Once the strategy is in place, the sales team can actively work with leads and focus on opportunities for driving revenue.

Execution includes everyday selling activities such as:

• Prospecting

• Qualifying leads

• Running product demos

• Sending sales proposals

• Negotiating deals

Each activity moves prospects further along the buying journey.

For SMB sales teams, consistency is particularly important. Every lead should follow the same process so deals don’t get overlooked. Document a repeatable sales workflow, from first contact to a signed agreement.

Here’s an example of a sales workflow in Pipedrive:

3. Monitor performance management and pipeline activity

Sales management responsibilities mean keeping an eye on your sales pipeline so you can spot any bottlenecks, see how deals are moving and make sure no opportunities get missed.

At this stage, managers track key sales metrics such as:

• Number of deals in the pipeline

• Conversion rates between stages

• Sales cycle length

• Average deal value

• Revenue against targets

Monitoring these metrics helps leaders understand whether the team is on track to meet its goals. It also makes it easier to spot problems early.

For example, if deals consistently stall during the proposal stage, the issue might be pricing, positioning or proposal quality. If the pipeline is thin, the team may need to increase prospecting activity.

4. Adjust tactics and improve the sales process

Once you see how your sales process is performing, make adjustments to fix any weak spots and keep deals moving forward.

Sales environments constantly change. Customer needs evolve, competitors introduce new offers and markets shift, so sales managers need to regularly refine their approach.

Adjustments might include:

• Updating sales messaging based on customer data and feedback

• Refining qualification criteria for leads

• Improving proposal templates or pricing structures

• Providing additional training for sales reps

Small improvements at this stage can have a big impact on performance. Even modest increases in conversion rates or deal size can significantly boost revenue over time.

This step ensures the sales process remains effective, competitive and aligned with customer expectations.

5. Repeat and scale what works

The key to successful sales management is treating it as a continuous cycle by using what works, building on your wins and refining strategies to grow results over time.

From here, you can identify the most profitable customer segments, focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact and shorten the sales cycle so deals close faster.

Focusing on what works gives the team a clear roadmap for scaling those practices across the business.

For SMBs with limited time and resources, this repeatable process helps focus efforts on the strategies that actually drive results without spreading the team too thin.

Who benefits from sales management?

Effective sales management helps managers spot problems early and offer support where it’s needed, shows salespeople what to focus on next and gives customers a more consistent and professional experience.

Let’s take a look at these stakeholders in more detail.

Sales managers

A sales manager directs an organization’s sales team, oversees its processes and is usually in charge of talent development and leadership.

Clarity and scope are essential to sales managers, who typically oversee the planning and execution of company-wide targets.

Having an effective management process allows them to drive the sales organization forward. They’ll have a clearer vision of where they stand against the competition and know how to stay ahead.

Salespeople

A salesperson represents the company and contacts potential customers face-to-face, over the phone or online. Salespeople typically report to and work closely with their sales managers on performance goals.

The main goal for salespeople is to engage the current customer base while expanding their reach and the company’s bottom line.

Salespeople gain increased confidence and greater visibility through effective sales management. If you’re a business owner, consider investing in sales training for every team member – it’ll pay off in the long run.

Customers

Customers are more likely to have a better experience and purchase your product or service if they go through an effective sales management process.

They may even share their experiences on social media sites like LinkedIn, providing further proof to help other prospects convert.

A great sales company can set itself up for success if all these parts work well together.

Sales management best practices

The best sales management approaches focus on making your team’s work easier, streamlining the sales process and using tools that help deals move faster.

Here are some best practices you can follow to keep your sales process running efficiently.

Use productivity tools

Busy sales leaders and salespeople can use plenty of productivity apps to streamline deal management and close deals.

These are tools that streamline processes or simplify repetitive or complex tasks. Examples include:

• Communication platforms (e.g., Slack and Microsoft Teams)

• Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, ClickUp and Any.do)

• Note-taking and time management apps (e.g., Evernote)

• Writing assistants (e.g., Grammarly)

• Document management apps (e.g., Scanner Pro)

Find more productivity tools in the Pipedrive Marketplace.

Create content marketing

Sales managers can develop content marketing materials that build value around their new products or services, making selling easier for salespeople.

Content can convince and reassure potential customers about your services, especially if they solve a particularly relevant pain point.

Having a content team within the company ensures creators understand the product and its value to customers. However, you can also outsource content creation to a freelancer or agency if you’re not ready to hire full-time.

Great content is more likely to move consumers along the sales cycle than a salesperson alone. Informative content often introduces products and services to potential buyers – especially when it appears high in search engine results pages (SERPs), where many buyers start their journeys.

Keep up your training

Maintaining a strong sales management process requires continuous learning so you can adapt as your company grows and changes.

Formal sales training is a great way to hone your sales management skills. Programs like Pipedrive Academy help you improve at every stage of the sales process.

Here are a few examples of the training courses available with Pipedrive:

Beyond formal training, you can keep up your skills through activities like the following:

• Reading account management books, blogs or sales books

• Setting a Google alert for key terms such as ”sales management” to stay up-to-date with the latest news in your industry

• Experimenting with sales management software that will help you gain visibility into and stay on top of your management process

• Reading a sales glossary to brush up on your sales vocabulary

Encourage your employees to pursue ongoing learning as well to keep your whole team on the cutting edge of your field, and provide incentives for those who complete training.

Why use technology to manage customer relationships?

An organized sales funnel helps you understand your sales management process, highlighting the opportunities available and forecasting revenue for the months ahead.

While some opt for Excel spreadsheets and sticky notes, a sales CRM tool will give you a more precise overview of your current assets and pinpoint key factors in your company’s future sales success.

Before purchasing a CRM solution, answer these questions to ensure you make the best choice for your team:

• Is the interface easy to learn and use?

• Can we customize the CRM to fit my needs?

• Does the platform have all the features we need?

• Are there cross-platform integrations?

• Will the software notify me when I need to act, and will those notifications come in real time or at intervals?

• Does the system offer accurate sales forecasting and reporting?
  

• Is the CRM mobile-friendly, and can I access it from anywhere?

How Pipedrive can improve B2B sales management

Using a CRM like Pipedrive helps your team stay on top of every deal and turns messy processes into a system that makes closing easier.

Here are some of the ways Pipedrive can optimize sales management across your business.

Build a custom sales pipeline to reflect your sales journey

The first step to managing sales effectively is setting up a pipeline that mirrors how your team sells so you can track every deal and take action to move it forward.

In Pipedrive, start by creating pipeline stages that reflect the real steps your customers go through before buying. For example, your pipeline might look like this:

• New lead

• Qualified opportunity

• Demo or discovery call

• Proposal sent

• Negotiation

• Deal won or lost

Each deal appears as a card in the pipeline. Take a look at the image below to see how this looks:

Sales professionals can simply drag the deal from one stage to the next as conversations progress.

Watch this video to see how to create a custom pipeline in Pipedrive:

This pipeline visibility helps you see which deals are close to closing and which ones need nurturing to convert.

Manage daily sales activities so deals keep moving forward

Keeping on top of day-to-day sales activities helps your team stay focused and prevents missed opportunities.

Pipedrive includes an activity management system that keeps deals progressing. Within each deal, sales reps can schedule activities such as:

• Calls

• Meetings

• Product demos

• Follow-up emails

• Proposal discussions

Every activity appears on the user’s calendar and inside the deal timeline so it’s easy to see the next step for every opportunity.

One particularly useful feature is Pipedrive’s Notifications. If a deal has no upcoming activity scheduled, the platform flags it. For sales managers, this is an easy way to spot neglected deals before they go cold.

Here’s an example of how notifications appear in Pipedrive:

You can also review the activity history for any deal to see what’s happened so far. This activity might include call notes, emails sent, meeting outcomes or documents shared with the prospect.

Anyone on the team can quickly understand the relationship with a prospect and pick up the conversation if needed.

Automate routine sales tasks to save time

Automations take care of repetitive tasks, so your team can focus on talking to customers and closing deals instead of getting bogged down in admin.

In Pipedrive, for example, you can set up workflows that automatically:

• Assign new customers to a specific salesperson

• Create a follow-up activity after a meeting is logged

• Send a confirmation email after a demo

• Notify a manager when a high-value deal enters negotiation

Here are some of the other sales automation options in Pipedrive:

For a full breakdown on how to create automations in Pipedrive, watch this video:

Automation also improves accountability. If a deal sits in one stage for too long, you can trigger alerts or tasks so the team revisits the opportunity.

Sales management FAQs

Final thoughts

Succeeding in sales management requires hard work and knowledge of operations, strategy and analysis. Being the best sales manager possible also means using the right technology – starting with your CRM.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial to see if Pipedrive is the right fit for you.