Why Your Sales Team Isn’t Performing and How to Fix It
Let’s be blunt: a poorly performing sales team can be the downfall of any business, no matter how great the product or service is. The stark reality is that the sales team is the backbone of revenue generation. But hey, if you’re reading this, you’re not interested in watching your business falter—you want actionable strategies to propel your sales team to stardom. This article delves into what might be holding back your sales team and provides pragmatic steps to enhance their performance.
The Paradigm Shift: From ‘Salespeople’ to ‘Problem Solvers’
Traditionally, salespeople have been viewed as, well, just that—people who sell stuff. It’s time for a paradigm shift. In today’s competitive market, the most effective salespeople act as problem solvers. This means equipping your team with the tools, knowledge, and mindset they need to understand the unique challenges each customer faces. Resources for this transformation could include targeted workshops, mentorship programs, and ongoing education on industry trends and pain points.
Common Sales Skills Gaps That Impact Your Net Income
1. Closing Skills
One startling statistic reveals that a whopping 67% of salespeople never even ask for the order. Imagine going on a date and never asking for a second one because you’re scared of rejection. That’s pretty much what’s happening here. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including the lack of adequate training in closing techniques and a deep-rooted fear of rejection. To tackle this, incorporate role-playing sessions where team members practice different closing scenarios, guided by experienced mentors.
2. Business Value Conversations
In the B2B world, you’re not just selling a product—you’re proposing a change in business operations. Therefore, skills like discovery, rapport building, and qualifying are indispensable. Falling short in this area is like trying to play poker but not knowing when to fold. Teach your team how to ask the right questions that guide a lead through the sales funnel effortlessly.
3. Build and Deliver a Business Case
Your sales team should be able to convey the benefits of your product or service as a solution to a problem, not just as a standalone offering. If your sales rep can articulate how a feature will significantly improve a process for the client, they’re more likely to make the sale. Workshops focusing on crafting compelling business cases can make a world of difference here.
4. Handling of Objections and Negotiation
Resistance is inevitable. Every salesperson will face objections; the key is to not just anticipate them but to address them effectively and professionally. A good salesperson listens to objections as these could be the steppingstones to insights that seals the deal. Run regular role-playing sessions that simulate various objection-handling and negotiation scenarios.
When we train and coach sales teams, we identify the top 5-10 common sales objections and train team members how to handle sales objections not overcome them. When the objection occurs, the salesperson is prepared, and the discussion is conversational not confrontational.
5. Sell Based on Value, Not Price
The market is full of competitors who can easily undercut you on price. Now that most teams have fixed their supply chain problems, everyone has inventory they are hungry( often desperate) to move. But what they can’t do is deliver the unique value that your product offers. Training sessions should focus on how to communicate this value to potential customers convincingly.
When surveyed 86% of C-suite executives said they would meet with a salesperson who could present a business case to improve their bottom-line.
Process to Get More Results from Your Current Sales Team
1. Assessing Sales Skills, Motivations, and Beliefs
Before we can figure out how to fix something, we need to know what’s broken, right? Assessment is like the diagnostic phase, an MRI of your sales team, where you identify the current state of sales skills and beliefs. . It’s not just about asking, “Can they sell?” It’s also about understanding why they sell and what could potentially hold them back from selling more. Does the sales team have a high will to be liked? So high they are not asking great discovery and qualifying questions?
There are many ways to conduct this assessment. One teams often use is the sales manager assesses the skills of salespeople. The trouble with this method is the managers often just look at sales and profit results and not the actual skills to be a top performing salesperson. Sales managers often compare how the salesperson sells to how they sold “back in the day” and not considering the skills needed today.
However, for a more objective view, you might employ third-party assessments or even customer feedback. The assessment instrument we deploy reviews 21 sales skills, competencies and beliefs. Don’t forget about beliefs—sometimes, a salesperson may have all the skills and motivation but still fail due to limiting beliefs like, “I can’t close deals with big clients.” Or “ my customers will buy when they are ready”
2. Identifying Strengths and Skills Gaps
Now that you have the data, it’s time to put it to good use. You’ll likely find that your team excels in some areas while lagging in others. For example, many sales teams have strong product and service presentation skills but lack other skills like discovery, closing and negotiations/ The key here is to be as specific as possible. Instead of saying, “We need to improve sales,” say something like, “We need to work on improving our closing rate for inbound leads.”
Being this specific helps in crafting targeted training modules and application exercises that yield quick and efficient results. You don’t just want to know that your sales team needs to improve—you want to know exactly where they need to improve so you can apply the right remedies. Often we prescribe sales skills training, a formal sales process and sales coaching to close the gaps discovered.
3. Designing Sales Training and Coaching Programs to Close Skill Gaps
Okay, so you’ve assessed your team and identified their strengths and weaknesses. Now what? Now, you train them. But not just any generic training modules will do. What you need is a tailored program that specifically addresses the issues you’ve identified.
For instance, if your team struggles with handling objections, you don’t want to waste time teaching them how to improve their cold-calling skills. Instead, focus on objection-handling techniques, providing them with real-life scenarios and role-play exercises. And remember, training is for imparting new skills, but coaching is for refining those skills. Make sure your program includes both these elements. A good sales training program isn’t a one-and-done experience; it’s an ongoing spaced and stacked process that adapts as your team grows and evolves.
4. Ensuring the Right KPIs Are in Place and Measuring What Matters
KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, are like the gauges on your car’s dashboard. They tell you what’s happening under the hood in real-time. But here’s the thing—KPIs can be deceptive. Vanity metrics, such as the number of calls made, might look great on paper but do nothing for your bottom line.
What you want are actionable KPIs that give you an accurate picture of your sales team’s health. Think metrics like customer lifetime value, conversion rates, meetings and quotes delivered and deal closure rates. These are the indicators that tell you not just how hard your team is working, but how smart and effectively they’re working. By focusing on the right KPIs, you can make data-driven decisions that lead to tangible improvements.
The Role of Sales Leadership in Sales Effectiveness
Leadership is the cornerstone of any effective team, and your sales team is no exception. Effective leaders don’t just dictate; they coach and inspire. Open communication channels between the leadership and sales reps can help identify issues before they escalate into problems. Leaders should be approachable, open to feedback, and should create an environment that encourages learning and innovation. When we train sales managers and leaders we teach coaching skills, pipeline management skills and how to have a weekly sales meeting that drives growth.
Conclusion
Don’t just skim through this article and forget it. If your sales team is underperforming, you have a wealth of actionable strategies at your fingertips to rectify that. From skill development to leadership approaches, these are not just theories but tried-and-true methods to propel your sales team and, by extension, your business into success.
We recommend assessing the current state of sales effectiveness of your team and developing a plan to strategically improve their skills. It is not unusual the wrong mindset is impeding sales results and lowering profit margins. If that is the case the salesperson needs training and coaching.
How effective is your sales team today?
How much more effective could they be?
What skills and beliefs might be hurting their sales results today?
Let’s schedule a call if you would like to discuss improving the effectiveness of your sales team.
