Transforming Sales Productivity: Tools and Strategies That Work
As sales folks we aspire to be more productive. However, research shows that there is a staggering gap between what we hope for and what we’re practicing.
Well, I’m here with good news: transforming sales productivity isn’t as impossible as you think.
In this post, I discuss five trusted strategies that will help you improve sales efficiency. The best part is this — even if you only commit to one of these tools, you’re guaranteed to see change because these strategies work.
Strategy #1 Clarify Your Goals
Define and quantify success for yourself and your team. What are some of your goals? Is it selling X products a day; speaking to 100 people daily; sending 10 prospecting emails every hour? Break down each goal and be as specific as possible.
Essayist Thomas Garlyle wrote, “A person with a clear purpose will make progress on even the roughest road. While a person with no purpose will make no progress on even the smoothest road.”
Developing a clear sense of direction will positively alter your sales efficiency.
Strategy #2 Excel in Customer Service
Success in sales is in direct proportion to the quality of your customer service. Don’t believe me? Check out these stats from helpscout.com:
· 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience (Salesforce Research)
· 93% of customers are likely to make repeat purchases with companies that offer excellent customer service. (HubSpot Research)
· If the company’s customer service is excellent, 78% of consumers will do business with them again after a mistake. (Salesforce Research)
· 83% of customers agree that they feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve their complaints. (Khoros)
That’s why top sales managers are always thinking and looking for new and better ways to serve leads and clients.
Strategy #3 Be Quick and Dependable
We live in an ‘instant’ generation. People want answers to problems immediately. They want swift access to products and services.
HubSpot Research tells us that, “90% of customers rate an ‘immediate’ response as essential when they have a customer service question. And 60% of customers define ‘immediate’ as 10 minutes or less.”
If someone can serve your clients faster than you, even the most loyal customers may be tempted to go with your competitor. Former CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch put it this way, “Speed is everything. It is the indispensable ingredient in competitiveness.”
Look at your current turnaround times for responding to client queries. Where can improvements be made?
Strategy #4 Commit to Excellence
Are you the very best at what you do? Are you in the top 10% of sales professionals at the company and in the city where you do business? Successful people are distinguished by their competence.
Author and educator, Charles Swindoll captured the essence of excellence perfectly, “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”
Examine your sales process from prospecting, to pitching, and right down to closing a sale. Are you excellent at every step?
Strategy #5 Listen to Your Leads
Unfortunately, listening seems to be a dying art. Many sales professionals are so concerned with making the next ‘big sale’ that they miss critical information leads may be sharing. Listening is an art and an extremely valuable skill to possess.
Get into the habit of taking notes when chatting with a prospective client. Even if they’re not ready to buy, you can use the details you’ve gleaned in follow-up emails. This will show clients that you were paying attention and you heard them.
Conclusion
Every sales manager you interact with has a lesson to impart and a story to share. From CEOs to philosophers, I’ve distilled some of the best advice and principles for you. Trusting in Pareto’s Principle, applying just 20% of what you’ve read in this post could result in an 80% transformation in your sales productivity.