Clear and tangible goals allow your sales people to aim for excellence and measure their progress along the way. However that doesn’t mean that goals have to be just about hitting numbers. Managers often only consider assessing goals that directly relate to revenue, but what about the ones that benefit your revenue in the long run?
There are several goals that are worth assessing depending on your business goals. You should aim to set goals around productivity, revenue generation, as well as personal and professional development. Really get to understand your sales people, and what is holding them back from becoming top performers. Set goals around identified areas for improvement in order to support them in becoming better.
1. Invest time prospecting for NEW business every week. Most salespeople rely on existing clients to generate their sales. Allocate a specific amount of time to look for new business opportunities, whether it’s within a current account or a completely new company. A simple tip is at the end of every sales meeting, ask the following question “Who else should I be talking with?”. Ask for referrals!
2. Improve your value proposition. Forget the tired approach of “Here’s what we do and how long we’ve been doing it for.” What RESULTS do you help companies achieve? Focus on developing your elevator pitch and make sure it is focused on your prospect, not your company.
3. Improve your questioning skills. Most sales people think they ask good questions but in fact, they don’t. Learn how to ask high-value, high-impact questions that make your prospects think, understand their challenges and also their intrinsic motivations. It may sound easy but it isn’t. It requires forethought and courage to ask. You have permission to ask any question.
4. Perfect your presentations. I’m not talking about memorising your sales pitch. Instead, this is about adapting each sales presentation so that it addresses the specific needs of each prospect or customer. It also means investing time to rehearse every sales presentation before you meet with your prospect.
5. Gain agreement. This may sound obvious buy many sales people fail to ask for some type of commitment when they meet with, or talk to, prospects and customers. Asking for some form of commitment at each stage of the process increases your opportunity to close the deal. This can be as simple as asking, “What are the best next steps?” or “When can we meet again?”
6. Improve your selling skills. The business world is constantly changing and if you have not adapted your approach you run the risk of being ousted by the competition. This means you need to read a book, listen to a podcast, take a training program, get some coaching. And don’t just listen to what is being said; work at applying the concepts into your daily activities.
7. Show customers why they should keep doing business with you. Just because someone has bought from you in the past does not mean they will continue to do so in the future. In today’s business climate you need to constantly prove to your existing customers why it makes sense to continue buying your product/service.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” Anonymous