Companies often tell their sales people to “make more calls” to lift their sales outputs. While there is some truth to this equation (more effort/input = more output), the problem is it is not an efficient way of doubling the numbers. I have never met a manager who has accurately predicted the sales results they expect when they tell the sales team to “make more calls/visit”. What they are doing is hoping to get more sales in the door. Hoping belongs in church, not work.
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Given active sales time is the most precious commodity of any sales team, being more efficient and effective in less time is the holy grail. Here are four key questions you must ask if you want to double the sales of your team in less time.[/fusion_text][title size=”4″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]
. 1.What are the sales activities your people need to do to ensure sales targets are met?
[/title][fusion_text]I once went on the road with a rep who undertook what turned out to be his 17th visit to a prospect. Why are you visiting, I asked? He said he was building rapport and one day the prospect would be. 30 minutes travel each way + 4 minutes onsite x 17 occasions. Imagine where else he could have spent that time!
If you do not have a clear understanding of the particular activities that your sales people need to undertake to increase their chances of success, then any activity will do just fine. This is the difference between high performance results and mediocrity.[/fusion_text][title size=”4″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]
2. What are the competency gaps in our salespeople that prevent them from executing these activities perfectly?
[/title][fusion_text]If you know the activities required for sales success, what are the discreet skills and knowledge people need to execute these activities effectively and efficiently? If you don’t have a competency framework, then, again, you are hoping things go right, and wonder why you suffer a “constipated pipeline”, ie lots of opportunities but stuck at Customer Review or Negotiation or Close.[/fusion_text][title size=”4″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]
3. As a sales leader, what activities must I undertake to effectively monitor, manage, and support the right activities of my sales people?
[/title][fusion_text]The same principles apply for a sales leader. Define those activities that make the biggest impact and make them your priority. I often hear the sentence, “I know I need to coach more but I don’t have the time for it”. And I know those sales leaders who have turned this on its head. I worked with the sale leader of a large AUD$5000M business who, having changed what he called his “Operating Rhythm”, told me he focused on the poor forming sales teams and helped lift their result 300% in less than a year.[/fusion_text][title size=”4″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]
4. What leadership competency gaps to I have that prevents me leading the team to deliver the result we need, and what am I going to do about these gaps?
[/title][fusion_text]A confronting question but one that leads to personal success and fulfillment.
Success in sales is about an efficient and effective approach to sales planning and execution. The joy is in the doing. The comfort is in sharing the team’s success.[/fusion_text][/fullwidth]