Only two jobs? Most sales managers will meet that headline with an eye-roll but stay with us.
Great sales leaders individualize their coaching while they manage a standardized sales process. The first job of a sales leader is relatively easy - the second takes more discipline. The two jobs sales managers have related to sales process are:
- Install a process that everyone on your team uses
- Keep the team focused on the process at all times
Why Install a Sales Process That Everyone Uses?
You know that a sales process is a set of repeatable steps that your sales team takes to convert a prospect into a customer. Having a standardized sales process adds structure and accountability to your sales activities, leading to improved sales performance.
A study conducted by Vantage Point Performance and the Sales Management Association, found that B2B companies that defined a formal sales process experienced 18% more revenue growth compared to companies that didn’t.
There are countless reasons why a defined sales process should be used. A few for consideration are:
- Everyone is using the same language which builds culture and saves time.
- It makes it very clear where an AE is with a prospect so they know exactly what the next step should be.
Why Keep Your Sales Team Focused on the Sales Process at All Times?
Without clearly defined steps and milestones that guide sellers from prospecting to presenting to offering the sale, even the most promising deals can slip away due to disorganization.
A defined process helps AE's have a more customer focused conversation with their prospects leading to more target to key conversions.
By having a process, you can then measure performance against it to see where the team is succeeding and falling behind.
Resources Related to the Sales Process:
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the IDENTIFY Step
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the CONNECT Step
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the DISCOVER Step
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the ADVISE Step
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the CLOSE Step
Coaching the Sales Process: Overlooked Points in the GROW Step
A Sales Manager's Guide to the Most Important Parts of the Sales Process
As a sales manager, you know you can't keep tabs on ALL steps of the sales process so we've developed a guide to lead you to the most important parts of the sales process that will directly lead to performance.
NOTE: If you're a CSS client, this guide can be found in the Training and Resource Center and in our new Impact Leadership System series.
If you are not a CSS client, feel free to check out what two (of the many) Impact Leadership System's courses are like by sampling the popular, People - Talent Defined and Process - Sales Structure courses.
Our Sales Accelerator Series online courses cover all six steps of the sales process in more depth. This summary guide provided through the Impact Leadership System's course will give you a manager’s overview of the areas we feel are most important to focus on with your team and help you with the three main components of a typical sales progression: generating leads, selling solutions, and servicing clients.
Remember, you don’t focus your team on a sales process as another thing to check off. You have it because adherence to a process will improve your sales performance. Make it a part of your routine as you lead your sales team. The process works!
