Are your sales reps having challenges with…
Generating new leads?
Marketing sends 1,000's of "leads" from lists & events (i.e. Hoovers, etc...) which Sales is expected to follow up on which is extremely time consuming. And most of the "leads" do not fit the target sales profile and many of those leads don't even work there anymore. Time is all a salesperson has, why waste it? LinkedIn data is comprehensive & always accurate.
Selling to new accounts?
These questions need to be answered BEFORE someone begins selling: What companies should I target? Who at those companies should I build relationships with? What is my message to earn their engagement? Use LinkedIn to map the power base.
Crafting effective sales messages?
Marketing's role is to create broad brand messaging that appeals to market segment(s). It is sales responsibility to take that messaging down to a tactical level, make it action oriented, and engage each individual prospect’s unique wants and needs. Sales messaging should always move the sales ball forward, adding context to marketing’s message.
Expanding sales in existing accounts?
These questions need to be answered BEFORE someone begins selling: Which of my existing customers represent the greatest opportunity? What is their current "footprint" and open opportunity (whitespace) ? What is my message to earn their engagement?
Building & managing pipeline?
There is no greater indicator of a healthy sales operation than the pipeline. A healthy pipeline has three (3) basic stages: Suspect (prequalified) - the account fits the profile. Qualified - the customer is engaged & you are competing to win. Forecast - agreement has been reached, just working on details. Those stages should form a funnel with realistic multiples, i.e. 7x, 5x, 2x of goal.
Achieving their quota?
Do your reps have a sales plan? Do they know how to develop leads? Do they know how to solution sell? Are they “hoping” for orders?
Writing effective proposals?
Do they lead with value and clearly position scope, schedule, & cost?
Forecasting accurately?
Common behaviors that create inaccurate forecasts: Sandbagging: reps keeping deals hidden so mgmt. doesn't put pressure or interfere. Force-casting: sales leadership applying implied and/or direct pressure on reps to forecast deals before they're ready. A baby needs 9 months in the womb.
While direct sales & partner sales teams share the same goals, they often compete, each keeping their activity secret ("don't steal my deal"). But when they work together, sales and customers benefit greatly. Direct often has the latest product info. and partners are often closer to the customer.
On-boarding new employees?
While LMS systems have improved HR on-boarding greatly, they do not provide the tactical instruction needed to equip new sales professionals with the account strategy, sales messaging, and sales process needed to be successful. Therefore, leaving first line sales managers to do the best they can.
Communicating using email & powerpoint?
Email and Powerpoint have long been the staples of business communication, but have become stale and it’s easy for these forms of communication to get overlooked. Rather than replace them, it’s easiest to bring life to those proven platforms by adding audio and video.
Selling with partners?
Selling direct to a customer and selling through a partner are very different, each with unique playbooks. Customers are looking to solve a problem and partners are looking to grow and operate a business. This is why most organizations operate separate sales teams, but when playbooks can be effectively combined, amazing results can be realized.