We’ve seen this process improve sales systems to turn poor results into a hefty 45% conversion rate of prospects into new customers.
Lasting sales performance rarely comes from super-star performers. It comes from great sales management systems. Good systems are reliable and they enable all your sales people to improve and maintain their performance.
We find the best sales management process has10 powerful parts…
1. Position descriptions
2. Procedures
3. Activity expectations
4. Performance expectations
5. A means of monitoring and reporting activity and performance
6. The 3 principles of sales contacts
7. Regular sales meetings
8. Strategic guidance
9. Corrective guidance
10. Employee review
Here They Are, Explained…
1. Position descriptions need to outline the expectations of your sales person. You can’t afford to have out-of-date PD’s. If your sales person doesn’t have a clear charter, how can you correct any failure to meet your expectations?
2. Procedures describe how to perform certain tasks expected of the sales staff. Even aspects taken for granted, like meeting with a prospect, are important and occur regularly… and are therefore appropriately documented into Standard Operating Procedures.
3. Activity expectations are minimum volumes or qualities of calls, visits, scripts and other tasks inherent in the sales procedures.Since activity is what yields results, activity must be measured and reported on.
4. Performance expectations are expressed as sales dollars and new customers won. These come from the right procedures being performed within adequate activity levels.
5. Means of monitoring and reporting activity and performance are means for the staff to record their work and show it to you. Both public reporting in charts and private reporting to management would be ideal.
6. We’ve seen 3 valuable principles in a good salesmeeting…
1. There must be no unaccountable time in the work week,
2. No contact must occur without an agenda, and
3. No contact must go without an outcome of some kind and a next step.
7. Regular sales meetings need to be at least weekly. Work needs to be interrogated so that management and consultants can provide guidance.
8. Strategic Guidance means suggestions and information of value to overcoming a hurdle the salesperson has encountered.
9.Corrective Guidance means admonishment and advice designed to cease activity that is not productive and encourage activity that is productive.
10. Employee reviews are the last component, and this is really a component of a good HR system more than merely a good sales management process. We’ll help you set up procedures, forms, sales meeting structures and principles of management that get more from your sales staff.
Results From Systems That Work
With systems like these, you’ll enjoy the kind of results that are independent of individual personalities in your sales force.
More Stories
When Selecting a Sales Manager, Good Is Better Than Best
Buyer and Seller Are in Different Time Zones
Put Customer Relationship Management Software to Work For Your Business