Sales team management: 7 strategies top performers use in 2026

Managing a successful sales team requires a thoughtful, strategic approach: One that’s built upon a foundation of rep engagement, a collaborative culture, and achievable goals.

But in 2026, sales managers face an unprecedented convergence of challenges. According to Eagle Hill Consulting research, 55% of the U.S. workforce is experiencing burnout, and burnt-out employees are nearly three times more likely to leave their jobs within the year. Add to this the rapid integration of AI tools and rising employee expectations, and yesterday's management playbook no longer applies.

Inefficient workflows, limited transparency, and inadequate tools all threaten a manager’s ability to leverage a strong strategy. The result is often a team of reps who can’t meet their sales quotas, high rates of rep turnover, and low levels of employee engagement, all of which impact a company’s bottom line.

To properly manage a sales team and ensure high rep performance, managers and leaders must develop modern strategies that take into account their team’s (and the broader industry’s) challenges, shifting workforce dynamics, constantly evolving technology offerings, and rising employee and customer expectations.

Here are seven strategies that top-performing sales managers use to build engaged, high-performing teams.

7 sales management strategies to empower your sales reps

As organizational and industry-wide priorities shift, it’s crucial for businesses to invest their time and resources into management strategies that help them remain efficient, competitive, and profitable. While managers should consistently revisit and tweak their approach to ensure success, here are seven strategies to start empowering reps today:

1. Build a transparent culture (and make it operational)

Transparency has become somewhat of a trendy workforce buzzword as of late, especially as it becomes more and more difficult to achieve in a remote or hybrid environment. But sales organizations and managers shouldn’t neglect the importance of fostering a fully transparent work culture. Not only is this an important factor for reaching business goals, but it’s also vital for engaging reps and reducing employee turnover.

A revenue intelligence practice backed by modern sales technology helps teams gain transparency into pipeline health and accurate deal and quota reporting.

In turn, forecasting becomes more predictable, and leaders can more easily identify strong growth strategies. Reps always know what they’re working towards and how their actions impact their goals and broader business objectives.

But the buck doesn’t stop there: Equally, if not more important, is an organization’s investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). According to a CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey, 78% of workers want to work for a company that values DEI, so businesses that fail to prioritize these initiatives will likely lose top talent and, ultimately, high-value deals.

Likewise, customers want to conduct business with organizations that are committed to employing, valuing, and supporting people who represent the world around them.

How to operationalize transparency

Transparent culture requires specific frameworks, not just philosophy. Start by making quota derivation visible: when reps understand how their targets were calculated (market conditions, territory potential, historical performance), they're more likely to buy into those goals. Share the methodology, not just the number.

Create structured communication cadences that go beyond status updates. Weekly all-hands meetings should include pipeline health dashboards everyone can see, explanations of strategic decisions affecting the team, and opportunities for reps to surface concerns without fear of reprisal. This psychological safety is essential: when reps can flag problems early, managers can address issues before they become crises.

Consider implementing bidirectional feedback systems where reps evaluate management effectiveness alongside traditional performance reviews. This signals that leadership values input at all levels and creates accountability in both directions.

2. Incentivize your sales reps

Sales incentives aren’t a novel idea by any means. Managers have used them for years in an effort to boost rep performance and meet sales quotas. But successfully incentivizing the modern rep requires two things: Creativity and a deep understanding of what motivates each specific seller.

Reps respond to different motivators: some thrive on monetary rewards like bonuses or gift cards, others value public recognition through team shout-outs or appreciation events, and some are driven by the satisfaction of closing deals and helping customers. Ask reps directly what rewards they'd find meaningful, then build flexibility into your incentive programs.

No two reps are exactly alike, so take the time to ask and understand how each salesperson prefers to be recognized and motivated. Flexible rewards and incentives programs boost employee engagement, a benefit that managers shouldn't ignore, since a highly engaged workforce results in 21% greater profitability. Plus, you’ll likely be surprised by the effort team members will exert to reach their goals when there’s an incentive they actually want at stake.

Move beyond quota-only performance measurement

Leading sales organizations are shifting from quota-only performance measurement to comprehensive skills-based evaluation. This means assessing competencies alongside outcomes: relationship-building skills, data fluency, discovery call quality, objection handling, and pipeline management behaviors.

Reps who build the right skills but face a difficult territory shouldn't be evaluated identically to reps coasting on inherited accounts. When performance management captures both what reps achieve and how they achieve it, development conversations become more productive and career pathing becomes clearer.

3. Commit to ongoing coaching, training, and AI integration

Successful sales leaders and managers know that coaching and training aren’t static, one-and-done exercises to check off a to-do list: They’re part of an ongoing process designed to fine-tune reps’ skills and reach larger goals at scale.

But traditional coaching and training methods likely won't cut it in today's evolving landscape of buying and selling. Reps need highly focused, enhanced skills that they can stack on top of their more conventional techniques. That's why leading sales organizations are increasing their investment in internal training programs, recognizing upskilling as a critical competitive differentiator.

Upskilling your sales talent will likely become a competitive differentiator in today’s complex global and sociopolitical environment. As a sales organization operating in this modern landscape, leaders and reps need to be technology and data-fluent, capable of data- and insights-backed conversations, and possess strong relationship-building skills. It’s also your responsibility (and in your best interest) to empower your leaders and reps with everything they need to conduct their jobs with empathy and accountability.

Implementing a shiny new tool that captures all your key data is a start, but you also need to provide continuous training that helps managers and reps transform that data into meaningful insights. A digital-first approach is the key here, so invest the time and resources into ensuring managers and reps are fully competent in today's selling environment and prepared for continuous change.

Modern sales enablement tools can help by facilitating real-time coaching that won’t derail productivity. What’s more, some solutions help managers instantly identify areas for improvement at scale, enabling them to quickly resolve issues and improve rep performance, both individually and across the entire team.

The right way to integrate AI into coaching

Most organizations implement AI incorrectly in sales. According to Bain & Company's Technology Report 2025, the real value lies in combining AI with process redesign, data cleanup, and focused execution rather than treating AI as an isolated point solution. Automating mediocre processes only accelerates mediocre outcomes.

Use conversation intelligence as a supplement to human coaching, not a replacement. AI can surface patterns across hundreds of calls that would take managers weeks to identify manually, but the coaching conversation itself should remain human-led. The goal is to give managers better information faster, not to automate the relationship-building that makes coaching effective.

Tools like Outreach's AI agents can automate account research, surface deal risks through Deal Insights, and recommend next actions, freeing managers to focus on the strategic coaching conversations that actually move the needle.

4. Provide detailed and one-on-one feedback

Strong sales leaders know that performance feedback should be highly personalized – both in terms of content and delivery. Some reps are motivated to make improvements when they receive constructive criticism, for example, while others prefer a softer, more indirect approach.

It’s vital to conduct one-on-one meetings with each sales rep to first determine how they prefer to receive feedback. Discuss meeting cadence, feedback format (e.g., in-person chat, email, written document, etc.), and any management issues they may have had with previous supervisors. Then, tailor your feedback technique to each individual rep. This high level of personalization demonstrates that you respect and value your reps and are willing to go the extra mile to help them succeed.

Once you’ve nailed down the best format for delivery, focus on preparing specific, comprehensive feedback for each rep. Sweeping observations (e.g., “The team isn’t closing enough deals this month”) or comments that only take metrics into account (e.g, “Your performance is subpar because you haven’t booked enough meetings”) usually aren’t that helpful. Instead, take a holistic approach to evaluating each seller by assessing metrics against their specific goals, asking open-ended questions about what’s contributing to their successes and failures, and practicing a culture of coaching for continuous improvement.

This can seem daunting and time-consuming for managers who don’t have the proper tools for support. But powerful sales technologies lighten the load, with tools that help track and analyze metrics, offer full transparency into reps’ deals, and align sellers with short- and long-term goals.

Even better if your platform offers sales call analytics, which use AI-driven guidance to pinpoint exactly what each seller should work on to reach those goals. This allows managers to turn sales calls into a training resource, with transcriptions and recordings for easy feedback review and sharing. Reps can then share those insights and any best practices with other team members, so even the greenest of salespeople can nail their next sales call. Now that’s putting feedback into action.

Build peer coaching into your culture

Top-performing sales teams don't rely solely on manager-to-rep coaching. They build peer coaching structures that multiply learning opportunities and reduce dependency on management bandwidth.

Pair experienced reps with newer team members for call reviews. Create "office hours" where top performers share what's working in their territories. Establish call recording libraries organized by scenario (handling objections, discovery calls, negotiations) that any rep can access for self-directed learning.

The shift from manager-driven to team-driven coaching creates two advantages: reps develop coaching skills that prepare them for future leadership roles, and knowledge transfer happens continuously rather than waiting for scheduled one-on-ones.

5. Empower reps with powerful sales tools

In an effort to boost the productivity and performance of managers and reps, many sales organizations have implemented a variety of tools into their tech stacks. But those well-intentioned initiatives often create more issues than they resolve, as multiple, disconnected systems create data silos, workflow bottlenecks, and a frustrated workforce. Managers and reps waste time toggling between myriad apps to complete their daily work, valuable data is lost, and the business misses out on key insights that could otherwise drive better decisions.

When evaluating new tools, include rep input in the selection process. Reps are the daily users and can identify friction points that demos won't reveal. More importantly, involving reps in technology decisions signals that their experience matters and reduces resistance to adoption.

Be transparent about what data the tools will capture and how it will be used. There's a meaningful difference between technology that empowers rep performance and technology that feels like surveillance.

Competitive sales companies have instead taken a more strategic approach to their sales tech stacks, with powerful tools that offer sales-minded capabilities and can be seamlessly integrated with existing systems. 

Robust sales engagement platforms, for example, optimize a sales team's existing workflows across all of their disparate tools (e.g., CRM, email, CMS, and more), making them more efficient and productive. They provide a centralized system for communication between team members and prospects, enabling reps to automate and customize their messages while tracking and measuring results.

When evaluating platforms, prioritize solutions that unify engagement, analytics, and automation in a single system. Disconnected point solutions create the same data silos you're trying to eliminate. Look for platforms that offer conversation intelligence to capture insights from calls, deal management to track pipeline health, and AI-powered forecasting to improve prediction accuracy.

6. Make burnout prevention a business priority

According to Eagle Hill Consulting's 2025 Workforce Burnout Survey, 55% of the U.S. workforce is experiencing burnout, and burnt-out employees are nearly three times more likely to leave their jobs within the year. The research also found that burnout disproportionately affects younger workers, with rates highest among Gen Z (66%), followed by Millennials (58%).

For sales teams, burnout translates to pipeline disruption, lost institutional knowledge, and the significant cost of replacing and ramping new reps. Prevention requires more than wellness programs; it requires examining workload distribution, quota attainability, and manager behaviors.

Start by auditing activity requirements. Are reps spending excessive time on administrative tasks that could be automated? Are quotas based on realistic market conditions, or are they stretch targets that create chronic stress? Do managers recognize early warning signs of burnout, and do they feel empowered to address them?

Create clear boundaries around work hours, especially for remote teams where "always on" culture can accelerate burnout. Celebrate sustainable high performance over heroic sprints. And ensure managers themselves aren't burning out, since the same Eagle Hill research found that 42% of managers take no action when employees report burnout concerns.

7. Adapt your management style for Gen Z

The workforce is shifting. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gen Z currently represents approximately 18% of the workforce and is projected to reach 30% by 2030. This generation brings distinct expectations that sales managers must understand.

Gen Z workers expect more frequent feedback than previous generations. Quarterly reviews feel outdated to employees who grew up with instant access to performance metrics through apps and dashboards. They want to know how they're doing in real time, not months after the fact.

Career progression transparency matters more than ever. Be explicit about what it takes to advance, what skills are required for promotion, and what timeline is realistic. Gen Z workers are more likely to leave if they can't see a clear path forward.

Mental health support is non-negotiable. According to Deloitte's 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 40% of Gen Z respondents reported feeling stressed or anxious all or most of the time. Traditional "hustle culture" sales environments are increasingly incompatible with these expectations, and organizations that don't adapt will struggle to attract and retain talent.

The good news: Gen Z workers are digitally fluent, quick learners, and highly collaborative. Sales managers who invest in understanding their expectations will unlock significant potential.

The right tools ensure reps are fully supported and prepared to perform at their best. According to SHRM research on job satisfaction, 70% of employees ranked being empowered to take action when problems or opportunities arise as an important element of job satisfaction. Arming reps with proper technologies that enable autonomous decision-making is essential to meeting this expectation.

Building a sales team that performs and stays

The strategies above share a common thread: they treat reps as whole people, not just quota-carrying resources. Transparent cultures, meaningful incentives, continuous coaching, personalized feedback, enabling technology, burnout prevention, and generational awareness all contribute to teams that perform sustainably rather than burning bright and flaming out.

But execution requires infrastructure. Managers can't operationalize transparency without visibility into pipeline health and deal status. Coaching conversations fall flat without conversation intelligence surfacing patterns across hundreds of calls. Burnout prevention stays theoretical without tools that automate administrative work and free reps to focus on selling.

Outreach's AI Revenue Workflow Platform brings these capabilities together: AI agents that handle research and surface deal risks, Deal Insights that give managers real-time visibility, and forecasting tools that replace guesswork with data. The result is a system where the management strategies in this article become operational realities rather than aspirational goals.

The best sales managers in 2026 won't just set quotas and track results. They'll build environments where reps want to stay, grow, and succeed. Start by picking one strategy from this list and implementing it this quarter. Then build from there.

FAQs

What is sales team management?

Sales team management is the practice of leading, coaching, and enabling a group of sales representatives to achieve revenue targets while maintaining engagement and reducing turnover. Effective sales team management combines goal-setting, performance tracking, skill development, and cultural leadership to create an environment where reps can succeed. Modern sales team management increasingly emphasizes transparency, technology enablement, and attention to rep wellbeing alongside traditional quota attainment.

What is the 30-60-90 rule in sales?

The 30-60-90 rule is an onboarding and goal-setting framework that breaks a new sales rep's first three months into phases. During the first 30 days, reps focus on learning: understanding the product, market, sales process, and tools. From days 31 to 60, reps begin applying that knowledge by shadowing calls, practicing pitches, and making initial outreach. In the final phase from days 61 to 90, reps are expected to operate independently and begin contributing to pipeline. Sales managers use 30-60-90 plans to set clear expectations, measure ramp progress, and identify coaching needs early.

What are the 7 basic managerial functions of a sales manager?

The seven core functions of a sales manager are recruiting and hiring talent, training and onboarding new reps, setting goals and quotas, coaching and developing skills, motivating and incentivizing performance, monitoring metrics and providing feedback, and forecasting and reporting to leadership. While the relative emphasis on each function varies by organization, effective sales managers must balance all seven to build sustainable, high-performing teams.

What are the 4 C's in sales?

The 4 C's in sales refer to four customer-focused principles that guide effective selling: Customer (understanding who you're selling to and what they need), Cost (the total cost to the customer beyond just price, including implementation and opportunity cost), Convenience (how easy it is for the customer to buy and use your solution), and Communication (how effectively you engage the customer throughout the sales process). Some frameworks substitute Clarity or Credibility for one of these elements, but the core concept emphasizes shifting focus from product features to customer outcomes.