Has your sales team been doing things the same way for years? Can your reps do their job in their sleep? Probably. 

But is it working? Be honest; it’s probably not. 

Which means it’s time to change—but where do you start?

We all know with change comes challenges, but with an effective change management strategy, you can successfully lead your team to not only adopt Qualified but thrive in becoming conversational connoisseurs.  

 Check out these 5 change management tips for adopting change on your sales team!  

1. Properly communicate the change and aligned challenges 

As a sales manager, you’re probably excited to implement Qualified, but a new piece of technology may not seem like a gift to your sales reps. It’s important you don’t spring this change on them. When implementing a change, it’s critical to communicate the pain points you are attempting to solve and how the change will help alleviate these challenges. 

2. Speak their language  

As a leader, you can easily see the need for change, but your reps don’t always have such a broad view of the business. Your reps are most likely concerned with their ever-growing to-do list and ensuring they're hitting their quotas. And you can't blame them! So lean into that.  

When introducing the change, put yourself in your reps’ shoes and explain how the changes will benefit their day-to-day lives and help them achieve the goals they care about the most.  

3. Ask and listen 

Throughout the change process, be sure to intentionally create time and space to touch base with your reps and see how they are feeling about the change. It’s important to create a trusting environment where reps feel they can share frustrations or ask questions. Taking this time up front helps alleviate those pain points early on and builds stronger trust, communication, and collaboration among your team.

4. Embrace education 

You’ve most likely heard the saying “knowledge is power,” and this has never been truer than in a change management situation. Learning something new can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Before implementing a change, think through the new knowledge, skills, and abilities your team has to acquire to be successful, and then come up with a plan to help them digest this information in bite-size chunks. 

5. Celebrate success 

Change doesn’t have to be scary and serious! Make sure and celebrate your team's successes as you go. No matter how big or small, remember the power of positive reinforcement. When you see reps succeed, be sure to recognize it. 

Create small incentives throughout the transition process to keep reps motivated and allow reps to share their successes and best practices publicly. These celebrations and knowledge share opportunities create a sense of camaraderie and ownership of this transition. 

To learn more about change management and how you can hone your leadership skills as a sales manager, visit Qualified University to become a Certified Sales Manager.