If we really want to achieve sales objectives, it is because we know that it is essential for the subsistence and growth of any business or activity.
Complementary to the amount of business that is achieved in each month, each one of them must be obtained with total customer satisfaction, because otherwise it will be compromising the future achievements that we require of each of them and their references.
A fairly well-known scenario
In many of my consulting activities and research surveys I have been able to verify that eighty percent of the results are achieved in the last week of each month.
To this it should be added that in the first days of the new month, the sales returns thus obtained appear, the increase in claims and fundamentally the uncertainty of the sellers as they do not know who to sell to in the new period to achieve the assigned objectives.
In the analysis that we will develop next, it will be appreciated that this is not the product of chance, fortune or miracles (which may sometimes occur).
For this to happen, certain conditions must be fulfilled in each organization in the structure of the team and in its management in such a way that the materialization of this essential purpose is possible.
Because we focus here on "professional sales management", it is assumed that all aspects of product or service marketing, market target, price and condition, as well as communication actions (promotion and advertising) are they are at a reasonable level of implementation success.
Management self-diagnosis
To materialize this important aspect of our sales management requires investing reflection time in an objective and orderly manner.
Starting from the base that we are imperfect but perfectible beings, with the humility and permeability that the case deserves, we can obtain the maximum benefits in our own reflection on different aspects that we will analyze below.
They are expressed in the form of a question with the purpose of facilitating a self-diagnosis of the activity itself, whatever the size of the organization, its heading or activity and management strategy applied. (1)
All these questions are closed, meaning that they can only be answered YES or NO. Here there is no room for conformity (no, but…), or for justifications or excuses. On the contrary, what you want is to really know how we are doing sales management and promote its improvement.
• Has our “effective sales management methodology” been written so that it can be taught to each of the current and future vendors? This is what describes the efficient actions necessary to carry out to generate a sale, having previously experienced and proven that they are effective. (1) (4)
• Do we have salespeople on the team that "meet the profile" that the company or business, its brands, products and / or services need? (one)
• Are all our salespeople adequately trained to perform sales management according to their own effective method of management, products or services and transmit the image we want in each contact? (1) (3) (4)
• Do we have a manager or manager with training in sales management and the managerial profile required to efficiently lead them to their maximum potential for individual productivity? (1) (4)
• Do all of our salespeople develop activities to build their portfolio of qualified sales opportunities to secure or exceed their monthly goals? (Prospecting) (1) (5)
• Is vendors' time management really efficient in each day of their management? (1) (4)
• Based on all of the above, are the periodic goals idealistic or realistic? (one)
• The administrative tasks that vendors must complete on a regular basis, allow them to manage it for their own benefit to organize themselves and plan their daily activities as well as to know at what level of progress is their individual management within the team? (1) (2)
• Does my vendors' compensation include compensation aligned with the achievement of the goals and reward their achievement? (one)
Conclusions
After analyzing the management itself based on these conditions expressed in reflective terms, different types of answers can be obtained.
As in any analysis, when hesitating to answer each one of these reflections, we must assume that they are objectively expressing that: "doubt" or "doubts".
The sure answers that allow determining deficiencies are expressing precisely this: "we do not do it" or simply "we do not have it".
The doubt or doubts, as well as the shortcomings, imply that decisions are made and action is taken in sales management through a scenario tinged with improvisations.
It is obvious that in this way it will only allow results to be obtained as a result of chance and fortune, so it will not result in a continuous productive process in the generation of sales results as is truly desired.
Finally, this article may have two types of consequences for each reader according to the criteria and approach adopted to read it: "informative" or "executive".
For the 'information reader', there will surely be criticisms that I can respectfully accept, but which will do nothing to ensure that you achieve your sales goals every month of the year.
Instead for the "executive reader", based on all this analytical development of sales management itself, you will discover that it requires complementing and strengthening one or more aspects to achieve and periodically exceed your goals.
In order to find an effective answer to this important aspect of management and move towards success in your business or activity, you will surely find it when you answer the following last two questions generated in this reflection exercise: • What is it that Do we want to improve on what we don't do and / or don't have? and • how intense is my determination to make it happen in concrete facts?
Recommendations:
Sales Books:
- The Professional Sale The Professional Retail Sale Keys to a successful sale (1) (5) Strengths for the Professional Sale
Sales Reports:
- How to become a successful seller (Free) (1) (3) Why do people buy? (3) Effective Sales Arguments (3) Professional Sales Techniques (3) Prospecting (5) (3) Your Effective Method of Sales Management (4) (3)
Professional Sales Training:
Sales Consulting: (2)
© Copyright, by Martín E. Heller -
