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Sales Leaders: The 3 P's Your Sales Reps Must Embrace To Smash Their Quota In 2018

 

Kudos to you, if your sales team is on track to meet or exceed their sales goals this year. Even if this year has been a bit challenging, now is the perfect time to make a few adjustments, tweaks and commit to a successful 2018. Set aside quality time to do some serious planning so next year you and your sales team obtain extraordinary results.

As you reflect and start working on your business plan for 2018, think about one word...

"TRANSFORMATION"

According to Wikipedia... Sales Transformation is a change management discipline that enables company executives to improve sales performance by aligning the resources that relate to sales, management, marketing and customer service, or improving sales talent and sales operations.

What are your plans to improve the sales performance within your sales team?

A simple way to think of sales transformation is moving from defining what is going to change to achieve sales growth to figuring out how to make the change stick. 

Sometimes change is the first step in turning your sales team around or giving them the big push necessary towards achieving success.

When it comes to transformation, don’t rely on your marketing or finance team, BUT when it comes to transforming, your sales organization matters more than any other department. Your business lives, dies, or thrives on your sales teams' performance.

What are you personally going to do to transform yourself and drive change within your sales team?

THERE IS ALWAYS WORK TO BE DONE

Only 57% of quota-carrying reps actually reach attainment. So, many your sales reps really aren’t the best and a good part of your sales team may be coming up short.

What is missed quota attainment costing you as the sales leader?

Will + skill = peak sales performance

Ultimately, isn't it part of your job as a sales leader to drive and create meaningful change in order to achieve meaningful sales results? But where do you start?

ADD THESE (3) SIMPLE P'S TO HELP YOUR SALES REPS SMASH THEIR 2018 SALES TARGETS

WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE, PLAN AND GOAL FOR 2018?

I am quite confident you along with the other leaders within your organization can explain your corporate vision, mission, purpose, plan and goals. My question and challenge to you... Can the same be said for your sales reps? Can they explain their vision, mission, purpose and their plan?

THE FIRST SIMPLE "P" - PLAN

What are you waiting for? Create the environment now to successfully motivate, manage and educate your sales reps to grow their mindset and skill set. Do not wait! Become proactive and take massive action to insure their success.

Help them to create their 2018 business plan. Start by having them answer the following questions...

  • What is your plan to grow your business by xx% in 2018?
  • What are you going to do to enhance your attitude, skills and knowledge?
  • What are you going to do to enhance your mindset and skillset?
  • What support do you need from management?

Schedule with each one your sales reps the time necessary to personally review their answers. As you listen, with encouragement let your sales reps know you will be working with them to ensure their plan for 2018 is attained. Ask them second level questions such as...

  • What steps are you willing to take to insure your success?
  • What are you willing to commit to in order to insure your success?
  • What is your tolerance for getting uncomfortable?
  • What will this mean to you?
  • Where will I be at the end of 2018?

THE SECOND SIMPLE "P" - PROMOTE

How are your sales reps perceived by your clients? How are your sales reps perceived in the marketplace by your future clients? Sales leaders, it is imperative... your sales reps must become proactive in how they promote and market themselves.

How do you expect your sales reps to get noticed when no one in the marketplace knows they exist?

If you want your sales reps to crush their numbers and exceed their quota you must allow them to promote themselves. This isn't bragging about their tenure in the industry, how many times they made the president's club trip or how great of a company they work for; this is about positioning your entire sales team as subject matter experts in your marketplace.

It starts with having them build their brand presence and no other has built a brand presence through self-promotion than the one and only Grant Cardone.

"Promote yourself until people know your name and your face. Promote until they know you as a threat. Keep promoting until they know you as the leader in your space. Promote yourself until your competition is no longer threatened by you but finally admires you and wants to collaborate with you."
Grant Cardone

Your sales reps self-promotion begins with building their brand on LinkedIn. My challenge to you and your entire sales team, your sales team must become better marketers as well as better sales reps as their sales funnel and bank account will love them for it.

THE THIRD SIMPLE "P" - PROSPECT

Sorry sales leaders, ask any one of your sales reps their strategic plan for prospecting in order to develop NEW BUSINESS and listen for stone cold silence. Strategic and well planned out business development, where has it gone?

Think about this one and let it sink in for a bit...

How would your sales team crush quota in 2018 if more than 50% of your client base decides not to purchase anything new?

There is a great study out by Richardson, inside the 2016 Selling Challenges Study; they surveyed more than 400 sales professionals and revealed the top three prospecting problems salespeople are grappling with today:

  1. Identifying triggers/sales signals that indicate issues they can resolve
  2. Identifying target accounts
  3. Qualifying prospects

Technology is driving change and so should your sales teams approach to business development.

Prospecting unfortunately has become a lost art. It has to be taught, nurtured and coached to by sales leaders. Yet in most businesses today, it’s rare that anyone teaches salespeople how to effectively prospect. 

Create a plan with each one of your sales reps to prospect for relationships. Done properly, it delivers higher sales, increased productivity, greater profits, and an exceptional customer experience. Relationships built on trust and confidence makes buying from your sales reps easier for every prospect they cultivate.

TIME IS NOW FOR ALL SALES LEADERS

To have your sales reps crush quota in 2018 you must develop a change maker mindset. You are the sales leader! You must to set the example for others to follow. You must build something bigger than the walls of your own ego. You must become vulnerable. You must set aside your ego and reach outside of your silo to integrate the three P's of planning, promotion and prospecting.

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way!

In 2016, I was recognized by ENX Magazine as, “The Difference Maker,” as someone who is making a difference inside the B2B office technology sector. I am passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

You can find more advanced training material inside the Social Sales Academy website.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them tell their story and communicate it out by integrating the use of social media. You can follow me on LinkedInTwitterSocial Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

 

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Comments (1)

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First, I love the 2nd "P".  Most sales reps have very little concept and/or awareness of their own brand and the value they bring to their clients and their company.  Additionally, although not a "P" I would add in comp plan.  If written correctly the comp plan should provide a road map of what the company wants which will help drive the needed activities and revenue.

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