In last month’s blog we started to look at the Sales GROWTH Framework, where G was for Goals for Growth. Now, R is for Release the Reins. If you are anything like me, as your business has grown, you will have been pulled in many directions; and sales growth strategy and implementation can be one of those areas where you really need some permanent specialist resource. Are you ready to take that leap, and release the reins to a sales manager? If you’re the Sales Director of a growing business, how do you release the reins of your biggest customers and business development opportunities to capable sales people? It’s tricky to take this big step, especially if you are just not sure that someone else will be able to do it as well as you! Read on, for my insight into how to release the sales growth reins with confidence.
There comes a point in the life of every business, when the owner or manager needs to release the reins, to allow the business to continue to grow. If you set up your own business, you probably did it because you wanted to work for yourself, doing what you love. This may, or may not, mean that you’re a sales specialist. Up until now, you may have grown the business yourself, using your enthusiasm for the product, or service you provide, as your best advert. The growth of the business relies on you. But you’re more and more busy, making sure that your operation is running smoothly, and your existing clients are well looked after. Without clear and well used sales strategy, systems and skills though, there will come a point when the business will stop growing. You simply will not have enough time to do everything. It’s time to pass the baton to a specialist.
A similar situation occurs in larger businesses that have already reached that stage, and have employed a Sales Director. If you’re that person and you’re accountable for generating the new business for the company, as well as developing existing customers, there will come a time when you can grow no further.
This may be because you are the only resource in the business, and you are a victim of your own success. If you are already managing a sales team, you may know that that you need to recruit more, to bring more structure and process, and to reach out to new channels, for bigger customers. This is a common pressure point in a business, but, it can be painful to scale up a sales force and release the reins to more sales people, they can be a challenging lot to manage!
How do you know when its time to make the decision to release more sales resources?
Here are my top ten questions to ask you:
- What is happening in your business that means that you are ready to release the reins to a professional sales specialist? For example, have you noticed a decline in growth of the business?
- What specific problems or challenges, will having more specialist sales resource solve for you?
- What are your hopes and fears when you think about releasing sales to someone else? What worries you most about making this change?
- How can you be sure that you will recruit the right person, or team? What structure do you need and how do you find the right people?
- How will you ‘onboard’ your new sales resource, to make sure that they look after your valued customers the way you want them to?
- How would you handover the clients you are currently managing? How will your current customers feel about someone else looking after their account? How could you tell your clients about the changes, and actually see it as a big opportunity?
- Are you ready to manage more sales resource? Do you have experience of leading and developing a high performing sales team?
- How will you make sure that the rest of the business sees more sales people, and therefore more sales, as a positive and essential part of scaling the business, rather than more hassle?
- What robust systems and processes will the business need to make sure that it can scale up to deliver sales growth and look after more, or bigger customers?
- Finally, and crucially, what will releasing the reins allow you, as either business owner, or as sales director, to do? What new opportunities and additional growth will it unleash?
A lot of big questions! Many businesses reach a turnover ceiling because they can’t let go and scale up, it just seems too difficult. I’ve also worked with business leaders who have not considered these ten questions enough, and have recruited unwisely. Letting go is a big, and potentially costly decision that, taken without a clear strategy, can be costly, on your finances, your time and your emotions.
Find Out if You’re Ready to Release the Reins
If you’re not sure if you’re ready to release the reins or not, why not spend some time with me, going through the questions above? We can get really clear on your answers and work out the best way forward for you and your business. To find out more, contact me directly on my personal mobile +44 (0)7740 290506, or click here to email me.