Pick up a typical sales report and what words do you find? Verbslike analyse, forecast, plan, assess andschedule, are used in pursuit of efficiency, productivityand predictablability.

What type of people are well-suited to meet and exceed the call?Obviously, people who are efficient, effective, proficient,competent, productive and co-operative.

Related: Are you a highly effectivesalesperson?

I believe that true sales leaders need to go beyond: We needto be inspired, motivated creators who are enthusiastic and able toconsistently deliver against our key objectives. We should bedeveloping individuals who are not afraid to challenge paradigms,who are prepared to go that extra yard in search of excellence andwho understand that success is 80 percent attitude and only 20percent aptitude.

For a group of people to remain consciously competent,performing at optimum levels, they require frequent injections ofstimulation, motivational guidance, coaching, prompting anddirecting, otherwise, they can easily lapse into becomingunconsciously competent or worse, unconsciously incompetent.

In 2016, around 50 percent of frontline sales professionals failed to achievequota. Did they fail? No, their manager failed. All roads lead backto the leader. The leader has total responsibility for the successof the team, and that responsibility cannot be abdicated.

The Acid Test:

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      • Do you understand their motivators: What isdriving them?
      • Do you have visibility of their numbers: yearto date, forecast vs. required performance?
      • Activity levels: Are they working hard andsmart enough?
      • Engagement: Are they talking to the rightlevel in their prospects/accounts?
      • Messaging: Are they capable of delivering anappropriate message at the right level?
      • Qualification: Are they only spending time ondeals where they can compete and ultimately that they can win?
      • Closing: Are they constructing successfulcampaigns and closing business?

After all, the primary objective of a professional sales managerhas to be: “To achieve consistently superior results throughthe performance of every key individual.”

Related: 8 must-have qualities for achieving salessuccess

Jonathan Farrington is the senior partner at JonathanFarrington & Associates, CEO of Top Sales World and theco-editor of Top Sales Magazine. Contact him on Twitter @TopSalesWorld or LinkedIn. The original version of thisessay originally published on the author's LinkedInpage.