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Why Defining Success is the Foundation of Sales Leadership

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If you asked your team, "What does success look like for you in 2025?" how many of them could give you a clear, actionable answer? As sales leaders, one of our primary responsibilities is to ensure everyone on our team—ourselves included—has a crystal-clear definition of success. Without it, we’re flying blind.

At this month's Sales Leadership Session, we unpacked the power of defining success as a cornerstone for impactful sales coaching. Here’s why this concept is so important—and how you can put it into practice.

1. Success Starts with Leading Indicators

Most leaders focus on lagging indicators—closed deals, revenue, or quota attainment. While these metrics matter, they’re the outcome of behaviors and strategies executed weeks or months earlier.

To lead effectively, you need to reverse-engineer success by identifying leading indicators. Ask yourself:

  • What activities consistently lead to desired results?
  • Which behaviors have the greatest impact on outcomes?

For example, if pipeline growth is your goal, the leading indicators might be the number of qualified conversations initiated or the volume of care calls made to existing customers.

đź’ˇ Action Step: Identify 2-3 leading indicators that align with your team's 2025 goals. Track those metrics and coach those skills.

2. Success is Defined for Each Role and Individual

A common mistake in sales leadership is assuming everyone defines success the same way. That’s rarely the case. While the company’s goals provide overarching direction, each salesperson has unique drivers. Some are motivated by career growth, others by income potential, and others by personal fulfillment. Great leaders take the time to understand these individual motivators and connect them to business objectives.

đź’ˇ Action Step: During your next one-on-one, ask your team members about their personal goals for the year. Help them see how their daily activities support their goals and the company’sobjectives.

3.  Without Clarity, Success is a Moving Target

Sales teams often lack clarity because leaders fail to paint a vivid picture of what success looks like. Imagine trying to win a race when no one tells you where the finish line is. That’s what it feels like for your team when expectations aren’t well-defined.

At our session, we discussed the importance of upfront contracts—not just with customers but also within your team. Set clear expectations for coaching sessions, team goals, and daily priorities.

đź’ˇ Action Step: Define the top 10 sales techniques, actions, and strategies that matter most to your team in 2025 and incorporate them into your regular coaching conversations.

4. Success Requires Strategic Coaching

To elevate your team’s performance, you need to move beyond tactical advice like "Make more calls" and focus on strategic coaching. This means helping your team improve their questioning techniques, time management, and ability to engage decision-makers.

One insight from the session was the power of coaching through questions and observations rather than giving direct advice. This not only builds trust but also empowers your team to think critically.

💡 Action Step: Dedicate time each week to coaching each team member in the field. Instead of providing all the answers, use questions to guide their thinking. How can you help them discover what they must do to succeed this year?

5. Success is Built on Relationships, Not Transactions

A final takeaway was the importance of nurturing relationships with customers and your team. Long-term success isn’t just about closing the next deal; it’s about fostering trust, understanding what matters to people, and consistently adding value.

We discussed the concept of “Keep Calls,” which involves proactively reaching out to customers not to sell but to check in, offer support, and deepen the relationship. The same principle applies to your team. Showing that you care goes a long way in building loyalty and engagement.

đź’ˇ Action Step: Schedule regular keep calls with customers and your team. Show them you’re invested in their long-term success.

The Takeaways

Defining success isn’t just about hitting numbers—it’s about creating alignment, clarity, and momentum for your team. When everyone knows what success looks like, why it matters, and how to achieve it, you’ll unlock their full potential.

As we continue to refine our leadership practices, remember that clarity and connection are the foundation of effective coaching. Define success for your team, align it with individual motivations, and watch the results follow.

Ready to take the next step? Contact us to explore resources on strategic coaching or join us for February’s session, where we’ll discuss coaching through questions and observations.

Let’s make 2025 the year of intentional success!


Haley Haggerty is a sales leadership expert and trainer at Next Level, helping leaders develop impactful strategies to elevate their teams and drive results. Let's connect to have a conversation about whether Next Level is the right partner for your organization.