Do you remember your last purchase? Was it in a physical store or online? Today, most of the products and services we need to live, we can order them online. So if the way we buy has been transformed, with good reason, you must change the way you sell.
However, at this point multiple alternatives converge: hire more sellers, offer discounts or promotions, buy databases or get referrals through your base customers. But, the question is, do you want to meet your sales quota? Or do you want to sell more and better?
In this article, we will delve into the essential factors to improve your sales management , since within this department all the efforts of the other areas of the company are articulated and specified.
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Why give importance to sales management?
It is usually said that, in any business, all actions are aimed at promoting income generation and, in most cases, it happens that commercials focus only on closing the sale, putting aside the value that could be perceived the client through the accompaniment and advice of the seller.
Thanks to social networks, blogs and email, information travels much faster, meaning that your customers can greatly influence other prospects when it comes to choosing you or not. This perception of value is the biggest differentiator between the multiplicity of options in the market.
Therefore, it is not simply about going out to conquer customers with empty promises, but about building long-term relationships and fully involved in their problems to satisfy them before, during and after their purchase.
In this sense, sales management is of the utmost importance, since it ranges from the hiring and training of your sales force, to the coordination and implementation of the strategies that will enhance the generation of income and added value.
By working based on a methodology, you will have a greater opportunity to prepare your team and optimize its execution, you will be able to plan and anticipate the most efficient sales techniques, monitor the efforts invested, analyze the success of the sales and synchronize the entire commercial department towards the achievement of the established objectives.
Advantages of effective sales management
As a sales manager, you have the responsibility of managing the team and meeting business goals. Coordinating the people and resources you have can be easier when you have a standardized sales process , since:
- You will be able to increase the income and profitability of the business.
- You will achieve greater satisfaction and loyalty from your customers.
- You will get more productive and effective salespeople.
- You will reduce hiring and retention costs by reducing the rate of job turnover.
- You will be able to foresee what you can expect from your commercial team.
- You will be able to measure, analyze and correct the performance of your sales force.
So, to improve sales management , it is necessary to put into practice the three steps that we will see below.
Tip 1. Build the sales team and develop their talent
Although it sounds obvious, the selection and hiring of salespeople is the beginning of everything. In this aspect, quality is more important than quantity, that is, because you have more sellers does not mean that you will sell more. On the contrary, having more staff demands the payment of more payroll and does not always guarantee greater effectiveness.
The reality is that hiring implies a high cost for companies, so they are not always willing to request new members. But, when it happens, it is very important to take into account the experience of the candidate as well as their disposition, since it should act as a bridge between your product and the client .
Commonly, we are used to invasive sellers, those who insist and harass with products that we do not need in order to meet their quota. However, today, sales have taken a more consultative and personalized approach, due to the demand of buyers and thanks to the technological tools that make automation possible.
On the other hand, it is also relevant to train the sales force constantly, since the behavior of buyers changes, the offers in the market also and the worst thing you can do is trust yourself.
In our experience as an agency that focuses on the growth of companies, we believe that sales representatives should always be up to date with respect not only to the products and / or services they offer, but also to the competition.
Likewise, they must know the preferences of potential customers, the most common objections that stop them from closing the sale; and, above all, align with the marketing and customer service departments to deliver value.
Tip 2. Give feedback to sellers and optimize their execution
As we mentioned before, the sales force must remain constantly updated as the trends and demands of the buyers change in the blink of an eye.
But, it is just as important to generate positive, constructive and constant feedback that allows them to highlight their strengths to motivate them and stimulate the rest of the team. As well as, detect areas of opportunity or training needs in time, in order to prevent the desertion or dismissal of a member of the department.
This can be achieved through a sales management system or sales CRM, which facilitates real-time monitoring and instant feedback on each task performed to generate a much more dynamic environment.
In such a way that it is possible to work in alignment, since the salespeople and managers are in tune , you can check the status of the contacts, eliminate manual and tedious tasks, to focus on the achievement of business objectives.
Tip 3. Implement an effective business strategy
Once you have formed the team and developed your talent, it is time to set objectives and plan the strategy that you will implement to achieve them. Since all companies are different, their sales cycles also vary.
The most common is to use a sales funnel or funnel that allows you to visualize and measure each of the stages of the sales process. However, currently, the effectiveness of the inbound growth cycle has been proven in place.
This change involves the areas of marketing, sales and customer service, in order to cover all the interactions that are had with a prospect within the same methodology. What is relevant is that the customer is placed at the center of the strategy to insert it into a continuous cycle of value.
Would you like to implement these simple steps to improve your sales management ? Download our free guide to creating a repeatable and scalable process or contact us to define the ideal growth strategy for your company.
