Building Your Company’s Sales Management Capability
Video:
Video for illustration purposes (pulled from a public OneGuide event on a different topic)
Key Takeaways:
1. Define What “Good” Looks Like at Every Stage
- Understand and measure the right metrics at each stage of the sales process. Whether it’s dials, connects, or meetings booked, knowing the numbers behind the process creates a roadmap to success. Break down these actions into achievable, trackable tasks.
2. Leverage Negative Goals to Manage Rejection Sensitivity
- For salespeople who are rejection-sensitive, replace “book four meetings” with a goal of getting 10 “no’s.” This takes the sting out of rejection, helping reps feel good about their efforts even when they don’t land the deal immediately.
3. Coaching Should Focus on One Thing at a Time
- When coaching, don’t try to fix everything at once. Choose one specific challenge to tackle, whether it’s mindset, skillset, or activity. Trying to address multiple issues at once can overwhelm the person and prevent effective progress.
4. Prepping for Coaching Conversations is Key
- Prep is critical to a successful coaching session. Understand the current state, the future state, and the consequences of not achieving goals. This helps avoid “chit-chat” and keeps the conversation focused on tangible results.
5. Let Salespeople Come Up with Their Own Plans
- In coaching, treat the conversation like a discovery meeting—ask questions and allow the rep to come up with a plan. When they create their own plan, they’re more likely to follow through compared to just being told what to do.
6. Focus on Long-Term Development, Not Just Quick Fixes
- Salespeople should be coached regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) to build lasting habits and address challenges over time. This avoids the situation where reps have been underperforming for months without any real support or feedback.
7. Escalation Should Be a Last Resort, Not a Habit
- Don’t make it a regular practice to bring in executives to close deals. Instead, ensure salespeople are equipped to handle deals themselves. If escalations are needed, make sure the executive being brought in is relevant and aligned with the next steps in the sales cycle.
8. Make Pipeline Reviews More Strategic
- Pipeline reviews should not be a status update meeting. Use them for problem-solving, assessing where deals are truly at, and deciding if/when an executive should get involved. Review the CRM to ensure the deal data is accurate and aligned with the next steps.
9. Rigor in the Sales Process and CRM is Essential
- Implement a disciplined, structured process in the CRM to track pain points, next steps, and deal health. Sales reps should be able to easily articulate why each deal is in its current stage, and what the next step is to move it forward.
10. Build a Culture of Ownership and Accountability
- Ensure that salespeople understand their role and own their outcomes. Creating a culture where reps are accountable for their own progress leads to more proactive, self-motivated team members, reducing the need for constant oversight.
Slides:
Additional Resources
ClozeLoop Guidance: Powerful Pipeline Reviews
Triangle Customer Success – Rough Draft
Phone Burner – Sales Dialer Software
Expert Contact Information
If you’d like to connect further with Cory, find him on LinkedIn here