Give Your Sales Team a Boost by Evaluating 3 Key Areas

If your sales results have been on an upward swing but now seem to be tapering off, perhaps your sales team needs a boost.

As sales manager, you were feeling pretty good after last year’s success. Your sales and margins beat target…enough so that the entire team was treated was rewarded handsomely. But this year, sales are lagging, and you need to assess if this is just an unavoidable lull in the action or if there is something you need to do to jump-start productivity.

Start by evaluating the ability of your sales team to “win” all along the customer buying process and, in the end, earn the business how and when you need it.   This can be accomplished through a combination of targeted assessments, 1x1 interviews, facilitated focus groups and observations.  This creates the foundation to identify the critical few moves that will have the greatest impact on sales performance.

Recognize that this is not a simple proposition. There are many levers available to push and pull. One our research partners has identified 74 unique moves (from value propositions to compensation) available to sales leaders to improve performance.  The challenge is to determine the one or two that will make the most difference. Here are some suggested targets for your evaluation:

1. Markets and Customers
Take a close look at your current markets and customers. Do they fit your target client profile?  Prioritize them according to those with the highest short-term value and long-term potential. Know where the greatest opportunities lie so your sales force can focus their energies where they will receive the greatest return.

2. Face Time
Are your sales reps spending the right amount of time with the right customers and decision makers? Are they spending enough time to truly understand the customer’s situation and build a strong relationship at the right level? Make sure your reps have the tools and technology that allow them to spend as much customer face time as required and that they know which customers deserve their time one-on-one.

3. Interaction Quality
When your sales reps meet with key customers, are they making the most of that precious time? Each interaction should move the client forward in the sales process. Solution selling training programs advocate a deep knowledge of your customer’s industry, business issues and personal goals. Knowing what your customers need and want and what business results they seek will put you way ahead of your competition.


To learn more about solution selling training visit http://www.lsaglobal.com/solution-selling-training/