Is this the scenario with your Sales Team at the moment? They are struggling. They are in a slump. Deals are not being closed and KPIs are coming in way under target.
Believe it or not, this is happening to many Sales Teams right now. But, it happens. It is all part of the Sales process. There will those times that Sales will skyrocket. And there will be those days, weeks, months even, where your Sales Teams targets are down. It can be quite frightening when your Sales is suffering an extended period of falling below par. But it does not mean the death of all your Sales. What it does mean, however, is that as a Sales Manager, you need to do something about it. And the best place to start? At the root of the problem. Assess your Sales Team to get to the underlying reason for your Sales slump.
Here are 7 Ways to Get Your Sales Team Back on Track to get you started on getting them back to smashing Sales targets as well as their KPIs.
1. ASSESS THE DAMAGE HOLISTICALLY
When we think of how we measure the successes of our Sales Team we often think of measurement. That is, hitting quotas, making sales and revenue targets, improving conversion percentages, and so forth. Yes, performance metrics are important. They provide baselines, benchmarks, and key data for improvement. Unfortunately, most businesses stop there. And because they rely so heavily, too heavily in fact, on sales data, they miss opportunities to take sales success to the next level.
To accurately evaluate your team, you need to assess what they are doing holistically. So while the numbers matter, so too does everything they do leading up to the Sale. That means, also assessing their behaviour.
How skilled are your Sales Team members in their approach to the job? You need to assess their communication abilities, interpersonal skills, and processing techniques. This will give you essential insights into what is working, and ultimately, what is not.
Contact HBB Group today to book your Getting Your Sales Team Back on Track Workshop
2. LEAD YOUR SALES TEAM BY EXAMPLE
Shifting blame to your Sales Team for a drop in performance also means looking at who is in charge of the team. Top sales managers understand that you need to lead by example. You need to accept your share of the blame. You are a team after all. Work with them and show them ways to get performance back on track. Work together to find solutions and create new ways of success. Fundamentally, lead by example.
3. PROCESS NOT RESULT
Sometimes salespeople do everything right, and still don’t get the deal. And sometimes salespeople do a lot of things wrong, and still, win the deal in spite of what they did.
If your Sales Team knows what to focus on and can focus on the right activities day in and day out, the results will follow. Are your sales managers focused on processes or outcomes? What would happen to pipeline growth if your sales managers understood not just what happened (outcomes) but also how and why it happened (process)? Which is more sustainable?
4. LISTEN, ACTIVELY TO YOUR SALES TEAM
You are the sales leader here. It’s your job to support and challenge your team. That is, so that together, you can achieve the results you need.
However, to do that effectively, you need to know if you are indeed supporting and challenging your salespeople in the right ways. Or, despite your good intentions, if you’re holding them back. You need to know what you do well, so you can build on it, and you need to understand your weaknesses, so you can correct them. In short, you need listen to them. Not just hear them. Listen to what they are saying to you and encourage continuous feedback.
Contact HBB Group today to book your Getting Your Sales Team Back on Track Workshop
5. CONTINUOUS EDUCATION FOR YOUR SALES TEAM
Many sales professionals do a little research before a call, have the call, take notes, and then move on.
With a learning focus and mindset, you would instead think through which skill to practice on the call, practice it on the call, and then reflect on the lessons learned. If you really wanted an extra level of learning, you would invite a colleague on the call and have the colleague provide honest feedback afterward.
Embracing a learning lifestyle means that every time you make a sales call, you get better at it. Every sales event or activity is an opportunity to improve. And every salesperson can improve. Investing your team in essential professional development training is central to growing both their capabilities and that of the company as well.
6. LOOK AT YOUR SALES TEAM MOJO
Motivation is a massive contributor to success. We all have our off days. That’s a given. But a string of days with low motivation in the team can do more than just put us in a sales slump, it can seriously impact results.
When you start to feel yourself sliding down that path of losing momentum, it’s a good idea to look at how your team is traveling as well.
7. PRIORITISE WORKLOAD
The competitive nature of the field sales landscape leads sales reps and their managers to feel the added pressure to perform and attain their quotas. Even the best sales professionals are bound to have an off-month. Low performance exacerbates the rush achieve their targets.
Salespeople taking the initiative to perform at a higher rate is a positive takeaway, but it’s this type of pressure that can actually have a negative effect on productivity levels.
Additionally, re-evaluate your sales quotas to ensure they’re challenging, yet attainable. Quotas that salespeople perceive as being impossible to reach are likely to prevent your staff from trying because they believe they’re going to fail regardless.
Call the HBB Group 1300 833 574 or email info@healthybusinessbuilder.com.au to discuss which tailored option is best for your team’s growth.
