Develop a Sales Process in Three Steps August 19, 2008 If everyone on the football team had a different system and they all did things their own way, would the team and coaches—or even the fans—understand what was happening? Would anyone have a clear picture of the outcome?
By Ted King
If everyone on the football team had a different system and they all did things their own way, would the team and coaches—or even the fans—understand what was happening? Would anyone have a clear picture of the outcome?
Successful implementation of a common sales process within a sales-driven organization requires the same coordination and at least the same amount of work. Implementing a sales system requires the following three steps:
Step 1: 100% Management Commitment
No selling system will succeed unless the front-line managers are 100% committed to the process, and are able to support and reinforce its implementation. Leadership needs to define what a selling system should involve. Investigating the sales models available cannot be taken lightly. If you are going to invest your company’s time and money in a sales system it must fit your company culture—or the culture you'd like to create.
A key to successful sales force transformation is a conceptual shift on the part of first level managers from reactive ("What are you going to do to close this quarter?") to proactive (coaching all phases of the process, debriefing sales calls, strategizing deals, making good bid/no bid decisions).
Step 2: Sales Force Commitment
Most sales training fails because it's the business "flavor of the month." Many training programs consist of "read this book" or attend this two-day training session. There is nothing wrong with the material and the information from these sources. But nobody learns, retains and uses information this way. If we did, we would all have our MBAs in six months.
Look at professional training in various fields. A welder or electrician spends a minimum of a year learning their craft, pilots must log hundreds of hours in the air before they get their license, and so on. Generally, we give salespeople a briefcase and say: "Go get 'em." It's an insult to our clients and to the profession of sales, but it is also not going to help you or your salesperson hit your target.
Step 3: Support and Reinforcement
Even the best selling system, delivered by the most entertaining and persuasive facilitator, will be a distant memory within a few weeks if the effort is not ongoing. It's fine that your salespeople know what to do, but to do it under pressure in buyer/seller situations requires that a salesperson graduate from knowledge to mastery. Having achieved initial support at all levels, it's important they have the availability to continue the learning and support process. Selling is a high-rejection business. It takes continued upgrades in techniques, boosting of positive attitude, and continued encouragement of productive behavior from a system that includes training, coaching, and mentoring to achieve both personal and professional goals.
Successful implementation of a common sales process in an organization requires work. What are the reasons an organization would choose not to implement such a process? What are your reasons?
Ted King resides in Cedar Rapids, IA, where he is an affiliate of Sandler Training. Ted can be reached 319-899-9219 or via email at tedking@sandler.com.
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