Strong field sales management is required to bring the field sales team to peak performance. One of the mistakes many entrepreneurs make is to underestimate the complexity of pushing and closing a business. If you have never been to a sales event, it looks simple like lunch and a round of golf or a two round weaving. While the motto “selling things to people they like” is generally true, successful sales organizations can do more than just approve expense reports, but they can do more with business introductions!
A skilled sales team manager guides salespeople through the sales process, helping them lead more sales, and helping them achieve results through the process. A good manager can focus on measuring the performance of field sales teams and developing teams and processes that need to be reconciled and rewarding successful cases.
All field sales managers must develop the following four strategies to organize field sales teams and promote sales.
Develop and refine the process: If all field sales professionals need specific proprietary technologies, such as the ability to set up meetings, identify obstacles, remove obstacles and manage time effectively, but do not have a proven process to go through the sales funnel, they can spend their time working productively, but they do not really help close the deal. The sales manager must provide sales managers with clearly defined and measurable steps to understand the goals of each activity performed.
Sales Representatives Coaching: Sales managers add value to their teams when they can focus on evaluating and modifying the way they work in the field. Unless specific guidance is provided throughout the process, it is not enough to overpower a representative without reaching the quota at the end of the month. A good sales manager will constantly communicate with sales representatives to see how to manage the details of the sales process and provide guidance on where and how to focus on the technology. The coach will ask the manager to understand the sales process and to pinpoint exactly how the salesperson will execute the plan and then direct the specific strategy, disability and next steps to the person in charge.
Measuring activities and outcomes: Sales plans include very specific definitions of the sales channel and the activities required to move the opportunity through that channel. Sales representatives and sales managers know that sales tracking can measure activity at all levels of the channel, moving opportunities and predicting business, and whale spray continues to be appropriate at the top and center of the funnel water! This level of activity is measured against a set of metrics (eg, 20 calls per day and 2 presentations, 10 meetings per week, 4 suggestions, etc.) to determine whether the plan is implemented. If the activity level “Processing” opportunity is correct, the measurement result (eg, 8 transactions a month) indicates whether the correct plan is running.
Rewards for top performers: Great salespeople are very competitive. The best way is to compete with yourself and win the quota (not to mention the commission accelerator). And everyone will compare their performance to other teams. For sales managers, success in the entire team is very important. Best practices for on-site sales management include highlighting the best performers that stimulate the instinct of natural competition. It does not have to be a trophy, a Cadillac, or a steak knife … Sales rankings based on activity and results ignite competent salespeople in the belly of a good salesperson.
Managing the field forces requires organization and attention. In order for sales representatives to follow and correctly measure and guide your sales plan, you must have the right sales management tools. If you have a plan to guide a salesperson, you should be able to provide and receive a lot of compensation as you work to plan and measure what you are doing and what you are doing.
