Top Three Challenges Facing Sales Leaders Today - Part Two

The second major challenge sales leaders across the country identified in the Miller Heiman study was Poor Sales Call Activity and Productivity...

If you've ever managed sales people at any level you can relate to this issue. This challenge is present at every level of professional selling. From retail to wholesale and from simple sale to complex sale, different settings and different approaches with one thing in common - the human being.

According to the study "Sales leaders reported their sales force were not meeting expectations when it came to making enough new sales calls to continually add qualified opportunities to their funnels." Again, if you've managed on any level, you have had this conversation with a rep or prepared and delivered this training message.

My sales teams in the field consistently fought prospecting for new business and depended 99% on inside lead generation to be successful. The answer to the challenge is to set clear goals for prospecting and lead generation and insure your team knows they will be held accountable for their assigned contribution. Contributions may be different for top producers compared to other producers - but everyone should contribute.

Here's a three step plan to improve the call activity of your sales reps - and when you increase their activity the productivity follows.

1. Set clear expectations as to what is expect in prospecting for new business,
2. Create a commitment form that will outline what you'll provide for support and what the sales person will accomplish in the way of finding new business,
3. Report Desired Activity vs. Actual Activity on a weekly basis. Celebrate success and have a plan to make up for any negative gaps.

This is consistent with what Office Max vice president Carlos Martijena is doing with his 120 sales people who cover the southwestern United States and Mexico. According to the study "For him, improved sales activity and the productivity of sales calls requires better visibility and accountability."

People are drawn to selling for the money and the autonomy that typically comes with most sales positions. The challenge is that although everyone loves autonomy, not everyone can be successful with it. They need a sales manager or a position with restrictions to stay on track.

So sales managers... not only "know thy self" but "know thy people!"

Where do you find the right people? Read the third and final post in this series...

TK