Managing people is one of the top challenges of running a business, and managing a sales manager or sales team can be one of the most frustrating. Where are they? What are they doing? Why are they not hitting targets? Why are some successful and some not?
Here are the three most common reasons your sales team isn’t delivering and what you can do about it:
1. They’re not selling the right things to the right customers
The orders are too small
They are too reliant on a few customers
They’re selling the wrong product mix.
The problem here is that they’re not working to a consistent big picture with a clear sales strategy. You need to be explicit about who does what. Check in and follow up with your team members on a regular basis. Give them space to understand the channel and customer opportunities and develop relationships with your customers. Train the team relentlessly in product knowledge and the value of what they are selling.
2. They’re not hitting the numbers
Are the numbers realistic? Has something changed? Are they following a selling structure? Is it volume or value? What are the KPIs?
Is it a training issue?
Is it a sales process issue?
3. They blow hot and cold
Are you struggling to keep your team motivated and incentivized?
One minute all is rosy; the next minute you team members are complaining to other departments, or worse, to your customers.
It’s never only about the money they can earn. Sales people, like all of us, need to feel needed and valued. Each member of the team will be different, but each person works best when they are ‘in Flow’. Are they really doing what they love?
The solution is to get to know each member of your team a little better and find out what motivates them. Profiling tools like Talent Dynamics are great for finding out what gets individuals into Flow. Spend time with each person too, with regular 1-2-1 meetings and some team development.
If your sales team is not delivering, take a closer to see what might be causing the problem. When you know what the problem is, you can work out the best solution. If you need help finding the best solution, contact us on 07740 290 506 or by clicking here. We can take your team through the Talent Dynamics profiling to help you get you sales team delivering again.