DO YOU KNOW what’s holding your sales team back? How can you guarantee consistent, exceptional performance? Usually, there are a handful of reasons why sales professionals aren’t reaching their potential. Once your team clears these hurdles, you may be surprised how rapidly you see an improvement in performance.
Sales professionals often encounter non-buyers during the sales process. These individuals may influence the process, but they aren’t the actual decision makers, so they can be significant time killers. One way around this hurdle is to start at the top of the house. The objective is to get a prompt and definitive answer from someone with the authority to accept or decline.
Low close ratios often signal a poor qualification process. Just getting more prospects in the sales pipeline isn’t enough; make sure you’ve got the right prospects there.
Salespeople who want to work smarter instead of harder have always appreciated the difference that call preparation can make when it comes to landing new business. Those who skip this preparation are essentially rolling the dice like a telemarketer.
Systemize the sales process for your team by ensuring team members have the right tools. For example, you might invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software that integrates with their calendars. You might need up-to-date sales collateral or more plainspoken contracts. Relevant drip campaigns can also keep your brand name in front of prospects between conversations.
It’s also important that your sales team builds a strong sense of value before discussing the price. If prospects see the value in the company’s products or services, numbers are less likely to be a serious issue.
Persistence may be a virtue in sales, but it’s just foolish to refuse to take no for an answer. When a salesperson gets a “no,” encourage him to recognize that the prospect is giving him the freedom to move on to a prospect with a genuine interest, one that truly needs your products or services.
Encourage sales reps not to talk too much. A good rule of thumb is to listen 80 percent of the time, and talk only 20 percent of the time. Your sales team members should be aware of how much verbal space they’re taking up in the conversation, giving prospects the opportunity to get a word in edgewise.
When a prospect says, “I’ll think about it,” teach your team not to let the prospect off the hook that easily. Gain insight into the reasons for the delay by saying, “Tell me more about your hesitation in moving forward.” Peel back the layers until the the real objection is understood.
Remind your sales team members that they are in control of the situation. Even though prospects may be evaluating your products and services, your sales reps are evaluating them, too. If they aren’t a good fit for your company, empower your team to walk away. By clearing these hurdles, your sales team will be on the fast track to a record year.
This blog was written by RedRover’s CEO & Founder, Lori Turner-Wilson.
