Putting method into sales management
Winning at the sales game isn't always achieved by rushing out the door to see potential clients as soon product training is complete. To the contrary sales is a tactical exercise that needs to be carefully managed.
Time and territory management are two areas where top sales performers excel - to get the most out of your sales efforts follow the tried and tested tactics that have led many sales people to success.
Effective time management
The best sales people understand that they will need to spend time answering questions and quoting prices for existing customers however, they are also aware they need to invest time identifying and chasing new customers. This means effective time management and a strong ability to prioritise are of paramount importance.
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Leverage internal resources
: Building relationships with client services and operations is the first step in effective time management. Many sales people make the mistake of thinking they have to do everything themselves however a solid relationship with key internal departments will put a stop to this very quickly. These relationships will allow you to get things done!
Knowing when to utilise these relationships is very important as leading people down a false path too often will undoubtedly result in you being locked out. You need to be creative and collaborative when seeking the help of others.
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Disciplined planning
: Top salespeople recognise there are only so many hours in a day and they continually ask themselves:
What are the most beneficial activities that will help me meet my goals?
These activities are the ones that need to be formalised and actioned!
Our natural inclination is to focus our time and energy on things that have the most immediate results or the tasks we enjoy most, but without a plan it's difficult to spend the right amount of time working opportunities at the top end of the funnel.
Part of every day will be reactive however the key to success is ensuring that this is balanced with more strategic demands.
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Lose quickly
: Sales professionals too often spend significant amounts of time on
opportunities that have all the markings of a time waster.
One of the biggest challenges a salesperson will face is prioritising their time around the deals that have the greatest chance of success. Losing quickly is about being honest with yourself and looking at an opportunity in a disciplined way. Trust your methodology and most importantly know when to walk away.
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Keep sight of your funnel
: Salespeople who have a number of opportunities at the top of their funnel are likely saying "yes" too often - the key to success is to be selective about which opportunities hold the most promise.
Another time management black hole is the one big deal that takes up too much time. When the deal is lost the sales person finds themselves with nothing else in the funnel!
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Master your email
: Not all email is created equal and sales people need to ensure they know how to prioritise. Every professional - not just sales people - risks wasting time by responding to emails on the fly.
Very few emails require an immediate response so rather than interrupting what you're working on to answer emails as they arrive, check your email two or three times a day.
Managing your territory
Before top salespeople "get out there and sell" they take a disciplined look at their territories and make critical decisions about who their ideal customers are and how best to communicate with them.
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Know the customer:
In territory planning all attributes that line up with the ideal customer tell you where to spend time. Its best practice to conduct a thorough analysis of current clients, to look at the attributes of your best customers and share these characteristics among your team so companies with those same attributes are more quickly identified. Targets that don't have these characteristics should not be given the same consideration for resource allocation.
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New opportunities at existing clients:
While identifying and selling to new clients is important, it's often easier to sell a new product or service to an existing customer than to a brand new client. A new opportunity to sell to an existing client translates into to more economical and efficient territory management.
It is also critical to think about whether you can service a customer who decides to buy more - there is no point having a goal around selling if you can't deliver on the product or service.
- Solid sales management: Sales managers should get actively involved in funnel management. Effective territory management requires a solid understanding of the funnel and knowledge of who can best guide activities, coach salespeople and correct the course when needed. When sales managers constantly ask salespeople what they're working on and why they're working on it, they can coach and guide them toward the right opportunities. It takes a strong solid sales manager to understand what we really want our salespeople to do and how to motivate them to do it.
In today's competitive environment maintaining a rigorous process around time and territory management is critical. Without a strategic approach to selling and sound methodologies around time and territory management, there is a greater risk for missing opportunities, undermining efforts, and wasting valuable time and resources.
