Hurdles to becoming a high performance sales organization
Over the past 30 years, BTS has researched, analyzed and modeled successful sales and organizational behaviors. We have learned that high performing sales organizations and the ability to win new business are the result of the strength and alignment of four key attributes: exceptional sales leadership, winning sales attitudes, strong sales cultures and sales effectiveness.
While this sounds relatively straightforward, the reality is far more complex. We also know that what a “great” sales organization looks like varies a lot based on your organization’s context – industry, competition, geography and more. In our experience, however, there are a number of common key challenges that organizations typically face in achieving these four keys to Sustainable Sales Excellence:
1. Sales Leadership Lacks Strategic Focus
- Typically, sales leaders are entrepreneurial and savvy but frequently lack the strategic outlook to build for the long term whilst achieving in the short term
- Sales leaders are often ‘super sales people’ that are focused on the deal rather than business outcomes
2. No Winning Sales Attitude
- Some sales professionals still have a high reliance on product- and known-needs-based approaches
- Customer-centricity is the key, however many sales professionals still lack focus on the customer
- Lack of differentiation underpinned by absence of sharing insight and demonstrating acumen
3. Weak Sales Culture
- Lack of alignment and engagement with the customer across the organization
- Presence of seller-centricity that impacts customer intimacy and the ability to better understand, anticipate and fulfill stated and latent customer needs
- Lack of sales strategy and clear messaging coupled with a disparity in people and process execution
4. Missing Sales Processes
- Lack of adherence to organizational systems: principles, processes, strategy and tools
- Absence of robust planning and organizing resulting in sub-optimal personal and organizational effectiveness
To combat some of these challenges and move your organization towards sustainable sales excellence, consider:
- Engaging visionary leaders who not only set the future state, but mentor and coach effectively
- Utilizing a data driven approach to engaging the right salespeople with the right mindset, knowledge and skills to acquire and retain more business
- Employing highly targeted and customized learning and development programs versus one-size-fits-all approaches
- Implementing a strong sales culture that maximizes opportunity and customer engagement, driven by a common language and behaviors
- Putting in place the right processes, systems and technology to encourage productivity
- Implementing a robust sales strategy, building activities into the sales rhythm and inspecting results regularly
To learn more on how to maximize sales capability throughout your organization, please contact us.
- Strategy is like a bag of beads - November 29, 2018
- Customer story: Cultivating culture change at Citizens Bank - August 17, 2018
- Culture change: The magic of transformational moments - May 9, 2018