Selling Power Blog

What Are Your Top Sales Priorities?

Today’s post is by Scott Collins, vice president and team manager in Gartner’s sales practice.

 

In the U.S., we’re working our way through a summer of barbeques, pool parties, trips to the beach, and visits with friends and family. That also means we’re halfway through 2019 – and CSOs and their leadership teams need to take a quick look at where they’ve been and where they are going the rest of the year. 

At the end of 2018, Gartner identified five critical priorities the majority of sales leaders wanted to address and invest in for 2019. Let’s revisit them and see how you’re stacking up so far. 

Priority #1: Sales Development Activities

Nearly a third of sales leaders indicated improving the effectiveness of sales development activities was a critical priority to address this year. To address this, most leaders wanted to appropriately structure and design sales development rep (SDR) roles and their inside sales function. Gartner research identified a few critical areas of focus to drive the effectiveness of sales development activities:

1. Have you clearly defined and NARROWLY focused the SDR role (e.g., separating lead qualification from outbound prospecting)? Two different sets of activities and, arguably, skill sets are needed here.
2. What external investments have you been able to make in data and predictive analytics to better arm your SDRs and inside sales individuals?
3. To what degree have you MOVED the SDR and inside sales capability in-house, if you were outsourcing? Gartner research shows that internal SDRs outperform outsourced teams.

Priority #2: Improving Sales Analytics

This was the top priority for sales leaders heading into 2019. Sales leaders clearly see the opportunity and value a strong sales analytics capability can provide. With that comes the opportunity to drive sales analytics maturity, not just the collection of data and the investment in tools. To what degree have you been able to do what progressive, leading sales organizations have done to drive maturity and extract value from sales analytics? 

Gartner research reveals leading sales organizations are working toward the four following activities:

1. Focus sales operations on ensuring data quality versus solely on data capture.
2. Use sales analytics as a strategic problem-solving capability.
3. Align specific business goals and KPIs to sales analytics. 
4. Establish a center of excellence and a cross-functional steering committee to systemize and govern data workflows.

Priority #3: Quality and Impact of Sales Enablement

As every sales leader knows, the complexity of sales (and customer buying) today continues to grow. In response, organizations continue to invest heavily in driving improved sales enablement. The challenge, however, is that many organizations approached enablement strategy with a “more is better” mindset, which has led to unfocused, poorly-designed tools that create unnecessary complexity for sellers and even customers. If your 2019 goal was to improve the quality and impact of sales enablement, have you been able to adjust and make progress across these leading approaches?

1. Focus enablement on high-impact sales activities – those most likely to drive deal outcomes.
2. Build “buyer enablement,” which are tools and content designed specifically to aid customers in completing their buying tasks more easily (for example, a calculator or a diagnostic).

Priority #4: Frontline Sales Talent Management

Talent came in fourth and fifth on sales leaders’ priorities for 2019, starting with frontline sales talent. While the previous priority was about enabling the sales team, this priority focuses on hiring, developing, retaining, and coaching the talent needed to succeed in today’s environment. While the skills required to succeed in such a complex environment continue to change, Gartner research has identified a number of critical areas in which leaders need to make progress right now:

1. Adjust and update hiring practices, such as job descriptions and interview questions, that attract and find the sales behaviors and approaches that define sales success today.
2. Update competency models and development programs to address the critical skills and approaches to information.
3. Ensure sales managers are coaching and developing talent effectively.
4. Develop a compelling employee value proposition for sales talent today.

Priority #5: Sales Manager Effectiveness

Lastly, sales leaders have targeted their frontline sales manager talent as a critical area for 2019. Leaders often cite improving coaching effectiveness as one of these critical areas. But there are additional areas progressive sales organizations address when looking at their sales manager population, including:

1. Build a sales manager bench through a systematic approach and program to deliver ready-made sales managers into the field when needed.
2. Develop critical sales manager competencies that differentiate top performers. Gartner research has identified those differentiated competencies as coaching, sales innovation, and creating a climate of judgment.
3. Build a sustained, long-term coaching culture across the entire sales organization.
4. Build and deliver a compelling “case for change” to sales managers to ensure they drive long-term adoption of sales strategies, tools, and approaches to talent management.

As you can see, sales leaders are addressing many priorities this year. And each organization is going to have a slightly different priority list. What are your top three? To what degree have you been able to make your sales organization a progressive, leading sales organization that delivers above market results? As you look across each of these, this should give you a good litmus test of where your team stands today and the opportunities you have for the rest of 2019.

What to Expect from the Peak Performance Mindset Retreat

A few weeks ago, I designed and delivered the inaugural Peak Performance Mindset VIP Retreat for a small group of B2B sales leaders. I had the privilege of working with five world-class mindset coaches. 

Leadership, Race cars, and Tandem Skydiving Jumps

We purposely mixed up presentations with live-action events. On the second day, the group of leaders piled into a bus and drove to a professional racetrack, which had Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, and other high-performance cars. 

The retreat also offered a tandem skydiving jump from an airplane. The jumps were facilitated by the amazing Jon DeVore, a multiple world record holder of skydiving competitions. One of the retreat participants, Hillary Pryor, said she felt like she was “ready to take on the world” after racing around the track in an Audi R8. After her skydiving experience, she said, “I can do anything now!” 

Embracing these experiences made us realize we can handle a lot more than we assume. I think John Guydon described it best in this video. 

Remember: Your inner magic is capable of generating an insane amount of power; meanwhile, we typically use only a small fraction of that power in our daily lives. 

What Is a Peak Performance Mindset?

Why did I design this retreat experience? For several years now, I’ve been studying the power of mindset. I’m convinced sales leaders can change the world (for ourselves and others) by getting (and keeping) ourselves and others in a state of peak performance. 

The principles of Peak Performance Mindset are rooted in neuroscience. 

Each one of us has an “inner CEO” we can tap for amazing and powerful results. This potential lives in the capacities of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is where neural connections form based on our experiences, emotions, and ideas. 

The problem is, most of us never examine our own preconceived notions and feelings, despite the fact that they shape our perspective on life. In fact, only five percent of our mind’s content ever actually reaches the conscious level. That means 95 percent of who you are, what you feel, and what you think is not happening on a conscious level. 

That means our unconscious drives and desires have a significant impact on our productivity and success. For example, it’s a commonly held (and unexamined) belief that we get worse as we get older. Most of us assume our bodies will break down and become weak or ill. Yet recent research shows that believing negative ideas about the process of aging can actually decrease your life expectancy by 7.6 years. That means people with a positive mindset actually live longer!

What We Learned about Mindset and Sales Leadership

I was impressed how everyone in our group at the VIP Peak Performance Mindset Retreat committed to highly ambitious goals. Here’s just some of what we learned. 

Mindfulness

In her presentation, “How to Become a Mindful Leader,” Alexis Pokorny taught us the power of mindful leadership. Specifically, she illustrated how ineffective we are when we take on multiple tasks at once instead of working on one task at a time. She also led us through a 10-minute meditation exercise aimed at developing our brain’s ability to focus and concentrate.

“Inner Magic” 

I spoke about the concept of “inner magic.” To me, this is the reason we all exist. By practicing observation and appreciation, leaders can inspire others to live more courageously, intelligently, and joyfully. 

Passion and Purpose

In his presentation, “Mindset in Action,” Jim Cathcart reminded us that, when we understand our passion and purpose, we can live them more fully. He urged us to “know our ‘why,’” explaining that, when we find meaning in what we do, we bring more value to what we do.

Physical Fitness

In his presentation, “Age-defying Health Habits,” David Bush explained the link between our health and our mental clarity and optimism. He laid out a 28-day health challenge plan that included improving nutrition, prioritizing an active lifestyle, and decreasing stress.

One of the last activities we offered was a hole-in-one golf challenge. Listen to Russ Walker describe how working on his mindset transformed his ability to get the closest he’s ever been to a hole in one on the course. 

One participant told me the weekend was more like an awakening than a retreat. Another posted, “I learned from many others. I only see dreams and possibilities and nothing else. The weekend changed me forever.” Still another said, “I discovered that I was operating at a much lower level of energy and focus. I realized that I have a lot more gas in the tank.”

So many participants used the retreat as an opportunity to open up and talk about the toughest battles in their personal lives. We learned that what had brought us through adversity was refusing to give up. 

The weekend reminded me there is no obstacle that can’t be overcome. Any sales leader who participates in the VIP Peak Performance Mindset Retreat will walk away with a greater awareness of his or her true capacities, a clear vision, and a definitive sense of purpose. You’ll also get mutual support and regular accountability checks. As Hillary said, you’ll feel “ready to take on the world.” 

I’m excited to host the next Peak Performance Mindset VIP Retreat in Orlando March 13-15th 2020 at the Four Seasons Hotel. To get your invitation contact me at [email protected] for details. 

How to Align Your Organization with a Sales Focus

Today’s post is by Anita Greenland, vice president of sales at The Brooks Group, where she brings 25+ years of customer service, sales, sales management, and sales training experience. In her role, Anita is responsible for leading and executing The Brooks Group’s sales growth strategy.

 

Organizations with a strong sales focus consistently outperform those that leave selling up to chance. Establishing a strong sales focus doesn’t happen overnight, however. It takes intentional planning and support from the top levels of your organization.

Here’s how leading companies align their organization with a sales focus to achieve exceptional revenue growth.

1. They Schedule Regular Sales and Marketing Alignment Meetings

Research from Marketo reveals that businesses are 67 percent better at closing deals when sales and marketing work together.

Sales-focused organizations bring the sales and marketing teams together to establish clear goals for both parties – and strategies for achieving them. They align criteria for lead generation and qualification, and keep lines of communication open. 

Most importantly, they operate around a consistent sales process and stay aligned on what collateral, education, and touch points prospects and customers need through every stage of the buyer’s journey. 

Set aside a time for regular alignment meetings – and stick to them. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, a collaborative meeting between sales and marketing offers the chance for leaders from both teams to determine the strategies and processes that best position your organization and sales team in the eyes of your prospects.

2. They Align Sales and Customer Service

Happy customers become repeat customers, and loyal customers become sources of valuable referrals. Consistently solving problems at every stage of the customer relationship not only leads to a positive client experience, it also can reveal untapped revenue opportunities.

Forward-thinking sales organizations align their sales and customer service teams to improve customer experience, and to increase cross-selling and upselling opportunities.

Create open lines of communication and hold both service reps and salespeople accountable for sharing problems and challenges with each other, as well as knowledge and insights. Encourage team problem solving and reward collaborative behavior among departments.

You should also consider training your service reps to be more effective in providing an excellent customer experience and identifying additional solutions. IMPACT for Customer Service is a training program that teaches your team how to serve and delight customers – and translate their efforts into additional revenue for your organization.

3. They Extend CRM Software beyond the Sales Team

Sales-focused organizations make sure everyone on the team understands and stays connected with the sales process, and has access to a common database of knowledge.

Extend your CRM to provide access to marketing, customer service, finance, and any other departments that could benefit from the information it contains. Most CRMs now offer limited licenses for non-sales roles, making this an affordable and effective way to provide everyone with access to customer information in a centralized location.

4. They Establish a Strong Company-wide Sales Culture

Sales-focused organizations know the sales team is not the only department needed to make a sale. Successful selling is like a relay race: Regardless of who crosses the finish line with a win, there was a team behind them working together to move the baton forward.

A strong sales culture is one that encourages every member of the team to support the sales function, and to think about how they can provide value to customers during every interaction.

Consider including non-sales team members in sales methodology and sales process training. When all your people speak the same sales language, your sales process can become your operating system.

Conclusion

To strengthen your sales focus and improve your organization’s performance, you must lay the foundation with a well-planned sales enablement strategy.

Maximum IMPACT Sales Enablement (MISE) will help you establish a sales process as your operating system, and align your organization to achieve both your short- and long-term goals.

Learn more about MISE here, and how it can help meet your team where it is today, while giving you a roadmap to get you where you need to be in the future.