Aberdeen Group found that 66 percent of the companies surveyed think their sales growth is not sufficient to achieve corporate goals. Aberdeen Group surveyed companies and assigned them to three distinct groups: Average, Best-In-Class, and Laggards. The Best-In-Class were distinguished by exceeding quotas by 6 percent, a 5.3% increase in deal size, and a 3.5% decrease in sales cycle time. Averages in the industry were: 76% achieved quota, 0.2% more deal size, and 2.2% experienced an increase, but not a decrease in cycle time. There was a 32 percent gap between the Average and the Best in the area of quota achievement. Too much to ignore monetarily. The bottom line? Bottom Line: Best-in-Class managed their sales team’s performance better.
Performance Management is all about accountability, regardless of whether it’s sales or operations. Sales accountability is summed up in the following question: Did you reach your quota?
Sales training is not the only thing that will help you achieve superior sales results. The success of an organization depends on many other factors. It is one of the essential strategies that can lead to excellent sales results.
We believe that Sales Performance Management should be a three-pronged approach. These three areas are our main focus:
– Sales Management Training
– Quota Accountability
Compensation
Sales Management Training
The problem with sales is often caused by incompetent sales managers. Too often, Sales Managers aren’t managers but just salespeople. Many of these people don’t have the slightest idea what it means to be a competent sales manager. They didn’t have it as a salesperson and were not given any guidance or training when they became a manager. They might be lacking in management skills, but they are not lacking.
Quota Accomplishment
This is where the problem lies: people want to like you. Sales managers often have lonely jobs. The top salesperson is often the Sales Manager. A high-performing salesperson must have positive interactions with others.
It is not easy to hold people responsible for their results. This requires people to be held accountable, and assertiveness is a must. Sometimes assertiveness can be viewed as aggressive or bossy. It is an essential part of the job but not a selling behavior.
Compensation
Too often, compensation is entangled in thoughts and actions about and towards motivation. The majority of salespeople I know are motivated intrinsically. They are inspired by their inner self.
I don’t mean to be negative; compensation is essential. Top salespeople are motivated by money but not necessarily more. High-performing salespeople often consider fair balance to be more important than any other factor. High-performing salespeople hate it when “slackers”, who are receiving less than theirs, get rewards.
It is essential to have a form of individual compensation that differentiates high-performers. However, top salespeople are team players who can see the benefits of working with others and want to see team rewards.
If you are looking to create a high-performing sales team, then focus on these three areas: Sales Management Training, Quota Accomplishment, and Fair Compensation.
Create a world-class sales management team. Do not skimp on this. Learn what makes a great sales manager and then hire the right people.
You can set reasonable but not too challenging goals and encourage them to achieve them. You can give them the tools and support they need, but you should also encourage them. Keep the ones who do well and fire those who don’t.
Reward your people fairly. Don’t reward people who don’t deserve it.
Don’t waste your time trying to make someone feel better. It’s hard enough to find what is there. Marcus Buckingham, First Break All The Rules.
