Why do great companies with the right people, products, and customers miss quarterly revenue targets? Today, only 50% of salespeople on teams that perform achieve their quarterly goals. Worse, only 50% of those performers repeat their success the next quarter. A long-term study of two-million salespeople revealed that only 8% consistently follow a reliable sales process. Hiring and training salespeople who don’t follow a reliable sales process is like pouring high-octane fuel into a misfiring engine. No matter how potent the fuel, the engine will underperform.
Fortunately, there is a solution.
Companies that prioritize the consistent execution of a proven sales operating model grow 3X faster year-over-year than companies that don’t. And they do it without adding a single salesperson. Consistently achieving higher quarterly revenue targets is not about hiring and training more ‘heroes’ to make up for team members who underperform. It’s about delivering a reliable sales growth engine that empowers every member of your team to hit their numbers — one that makes every member of the sales force better.
What does it take to build a reliable sales growth engine?
The first step is the most powerful.
All your sales leaders must do is make a commitment to managing each salesperson against a reliable sales process, built upon a common language that is shared and improved by all.
But, let’s be honest, if your sales leaders had the ability to make this happen, wouldn’t they have already done it?
It doesn’t matter if you adopt a reliable process and methodology like Collecting WINS™ (our proprietary solution) or make one up yourself. After documenting a set of proven sales stages and gates, your managers must reinforce a level of quality execution that makes everyone better and raises your level of confidence with each passing quarter.
If your managers are falling short, you owe it to them and to yourself to get them the help they need.
The second step adds insight.
After adopting a reliable process and methodology, sales leaders take control of growth and their team’s productivity by collecting the data required to produce just four key performance indicators (KPIs).
When salespeople and their partners on the marketing team dedicate themselves to improving all four of these KPIs at the same time, they gain the ability to deliver exponential impact on the business. Improving each of these four metrics by just 8% per quarter, for example, will double top-line revenue in just three quarters.
How do we know? 30 years and 10,000+ working sessions with clients from more than 100 industries to start. To get you started, we have produced a FREE download of our Sales Flow Benchmark Analysis that introduces you to the four metrics and walks you through the process.
No Time Like the Present
They say the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. And the second-best time is today.
If you’re looking for a reliable way to help your sales leaders grow revenue and profitability this quarter, we can help. Grab time on my calendar to set up a brief one-on-one or continue the conversation with me on LinkedIn.
Have an open 45-minute slot in your next team meeting? Our essentials training is a great way to jumpstart your next quarter with confidence. We guarantee your managers and team members will love what they learn and apply it right away.
Together,
James
