Proven Ways to Sell More Based Upon High Growth Companies

In all our 30 years of working with sales leaders, we have never met one that did not want their sales team to reach higher and faster.  And we know from solution selling training participants that “higher and faster” is baked into most salespeople’s DNA. Most effective sales reps follow proven ways to sell more.

But we have met plenty of sales managers who were disappointed that their efforts to create a high performing sales team did not meet expectations. When we ask these sales leaders what they have done to boost sales performance, we hear a variety of answers. They typically try to:

• Exert more sales performance pressure by reiterating targets, micromanaging sales activities, and threatening consequences for sub-standard results
• Stimulate more discretionary effort by increasing sales rep pay or spot bonuses
• Use product-based training to improve the product knowledge of their sales reps
• Offer stand alone business sales training to improve sales skills

Unfortunately, none of these are proven ways to sell more because they are focused on unsustainable ways to really help reps consistently sell better and perform at a higher level.  In fact,

• More sales pressure without the necessary strategic and cultural foundations will only create unnecessary stress and employee disengagement.
• Rewards and recognition that are not tethered to meaningful accomplishments ahead of time will not change behavior.
• While a certain level of product knowledge is a ticket to play the game, sales reps need to be able to identify and articulate how your solutions specifically help their clients to succeed., not just product features and benefits
• And lastly, sales training by itself, without the necessary sales coaching, training measurement, and sales reinforcement, will only change the behavior of 20% of your participants on average.

But it is never too late.

4 Proven Ways to Sell More Based Upon High Growth Companies

Here are four ways to look at selling solutions that can make the difference you are looking for:

1. Sales Time Allocation
   Understand how your sales reps are spending their time. Make a list of the sales activities that fill their day. You want to focus on the revenue producing activities rather than time in meetings and filling out reports (both of which should be minimized to keep the sales reps doing what they were hired to do…sell and help their customers to succeed). Create a system of tracking activities so you and your reps have data to determine what works and what doesn’t. Then hold your team accountable to the critical few sales activities that are most critical to productivity.
2. Sales Challenges
   Where in the buying or sales cycle are your reps struggling most? Shadow your salespeople to evaluate which sales scenarios and sales skills matter most.  Can your sales team clearly articulate your company’s unique value proposition and differentiate your offerings from the competition? Do they listen carefully to the customer’s needs and wants? Have they been able to identify the true buyer and track their decision making process? Do they know how to overcome your most common sales objections and negotiate with buyers finesse? You need to identify and fill in any sales gaps as fast as possible. 
3. Sales Performance
   Fix or prune underperforming employees. Sub-standard sales performance or a bad cultural fit is unacceptable to high performance sales cultures. Work with your below average sales reps to improve their behaviors. If you don’t see improvement in a reasonable amount of time or if you don’t see a true effort and commitment, let them go in a way that makes sense with your corporate values.

   Top solution sellers will quickly lose their motivation if poor performers are allowed to continue without consequences.  Conversely, you must also consistently and fairly reward and recognize the right sales behaviors and sales outcomes. Know what motivates the individuals on your sales team and let them know with whatever makes sense for them (e.g., public recognition, gift card to a favorite restaurant, or a more flexible work schedule so they can coach their local soccer team) that you appreciate their contribution.

4. Overall Sales Strategy
   Our organizational alignment research found that strategic sales clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing sales teams.  Most employees want to understand the plan for success and like to feel that they are a part of something big and important. The more you can harness their emotional attachment to what they do, the more persuasive they will be in the field with clients. How are they making a difference? How are they promoting the company mission? An effective sales force is key to the success of any organization. Make sure they know how much value they bring to their customers and how much they are valued by you and your company.

To learn more about proven ways to sell more, download 30 Effective Sales Questions that Matter Most