Setting Sale(s) in the Right Direction

Though it’s hard to believe, 2012 is about to wind down. Sales leaders across the country are looking for ways to continue the momentum through the rest of the year, and drive productivity in 2013.

And while running as fast as you can usually feels productive, running in the right direction is always even smarter. A sales organization can’t move forward (and in fact can spend lots of time moving in circles) unless its sales strategy, sales coverage model, and sales enablement methods are all well aligned. Take the time to pause and make sure the high-level picture is complete with the following checklist:

1. Insight. The sales organization must understand what’s happening in the market, especially concerning information about their competitors and customers. Insight can be gathered through forensics on deals won or lost, and by analyzing what we might do better next time. This information is especially valuable in the highly competitive staffing industry, especially  if we uncover a pattern of not meeting customer needs or a gap between their expectations and our delivery.

2. Sales capacity. Sales capacity refers to how efficient we are with the resources we have, and asks how we can maximize their capability through alignment, focus, and sales process. What are our job roles? How does our sales team work with our recruiters? One very effective method of increasing sales capacity is to decontaminate sales jobs and open up more sales time. Sales capacity is also improved through shifting and lifting jobs: moving some people to cover high priority customers with strategic selling while we ask other roles to focus on transactional selling.

3. An actionable strategy. Sales strategy defines a clear plan for how the organization can achieve its sales goals. How do we convert our overall business strategy to the sales organization? How do we translate that strategy into day-to-day tactics, and help the reps understand what they’re supposed to do Monday morning when they go out and start  calling on customers? The most sophisticated strategy in the world won’t work unless it can function well on the front line.

4. Account planning. Defining sales productivity also means understanding our actions that are counter-productive. It is not productive to spend a day (or several days) documenting facts, figures, and guesswork about customers and then shelving it for six months. Account plans that are not used in the daily or weekly management of customers are a waste of time. How can we turn our account plans into living account plans, and use them not only to record critical information but as a basis for coaching?

5. Sales compensation. Incentive pay can certainly be used to motivate productivity in individuals. The opposite is true, too; people motivated to do the wrong thing can lead to an unproductive sales organization as a best case scenario, all the way to a sales organization confidently charging in the wrong direction, as a worst case. Short term inducements including SPIFs (Sales Performance Incentive Fund) are another way to  motivate teams and increase productivity.

6. Pipeline. Over the last few years, pipeline management has become much more efficient. This is in part due to the need for more effective lead management in a challenging environment and better application of CRM tools.

What other high-level “clean-up” can you do to increase productivity?

Mark Donnolo

Mark Donnolo
Mark Donnolo is managing partner of SalesGlobe, a sales effectiveness consulting and services firm, and the author of What Your CEO Needs to Know About Sales Compensation and The Innovative Sale. You can reach him at mdonnolo (at) salesglobe (dot) com.

Mark Donnolo

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