Episode Details

How many deals did you close this week? How many did you close today? Yesterday? Last week?

If you are a sales manager, business owner, or territory manager, these are likely the questions you are firing at your team to "ginger" them up and get results. You mean well—you want to motivate your people and see the business move forward—but I’m here to tell you that asking "How many deals did you close?" is actually one of the least helpful things you can do for your sales team. In today’s episode, I want to dive into why this approach is failing you and what you should be doing instead to actually drive revenue.

The Problem with the "Shouting" Method

When sales are low, the natural instinct for many leaders is to start "raking"—calling meetings every Monday or Friday to demand numbers. While you think you’re putting fire under your team, you’re often just creating acute stress. Even worse, after a while, your team gets used to the drama. I’ve seen this firsthand; my sister’s old branch used to call it "abuse Friday." Eventually, the shouting just becomes background noise. Your team will stand there, take the heat, and then go right back to their day without any real change in performance because they’ve learned that the shouting is just part of the "daily rhythm."

Simple vs. Complex Sales: Know the Difference

The reason your questions aren't working often comes down to the nature of what you are selling.

Simple Sales: If you sell jeans and T-shirts, you can ask how many deals were closed today. If 200 people walk into a store and there are no sales, you can check the security footage and see that your staff was just sitting on their phones.

Complex Sales: Most of you listening are in complex sales—things like ad-tech software, architecture, or solar solutions. These deals involve multiple decision-makers, high price points (often dollar-denominated), and require ROI justifications.

In a complex sale, someone isn't going to transfer 2.8 million naira (about $2,000) just because you called them on Monday. These deals require relationship building, qualification, and discovery. Shouting at your team to "close" a deal that naturally takes a long time is unrealistic and unhelpful.

What You Should Track Instead: Revenue-Generating Activities

If you want to be a better manager, stop obsessing over the final "closed" deal and start tracking the key behaviors and metrics that lead to that close. If you must shout, shout about these "yardsticks":

Calls: How many brand-new people did the team call today? How many follow-up calls were made to people spoken to last week?

Meetings: You cannot collect money without a meeting. How many meetings happened this week, and what was the specific plan for follow-up?

Proposals: A client cannot say "yes" if they haven't received a proposal. Track how many are being sent out.

Proof of Concept (POC) / Defense: In industries like tech or architecture, you often have to "defend" your proposal or provide a POC. Tracking how many clients reach this stage tells you if the deal is actually progressing.

Coaching Over Criticism

When you track these specific metrics, you can actually coach your team. If a team member has only made two calls by noon, you can have a conversation about time management or "time blocking" instead of just shouting that they aren't selling.

Remember, for this to work, you must have the right people in the seats and provide them with adequate training. You can't throw a novice into the deep end without a script or a strategy and expect them to be effective.

Stop shouting about the results and start managing the activities. That is how you’ll see the "pinging" of deposits you’re looking for.

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