Instead of throwing out the old and bringing in the new, how about we consider looking at the process?
The sales environment can be a tough one to face day to day. Why? Because you are typically only as good as your last sale, so the saying goes. I often wonder if that is true and have come to believe that the answer is Yes, it is true that your worth is based upon what you did last especially when the company is under pressure to increase revenue. But really, what company is not wanting to increase revenue?
If we just step back for a sales minute, I wonder (with good reason from experience), just how many sales organizations are working as a team with the rest of the company. Too often you hear some condescending comments about salespeople which are heard by the salesperson. If other departments of the company are talking negatively about the other, then you have a foundational problem that will not help your growth.
More traditional departments like HR or Operations all seem to have the day-to-day procedures they follow down to an almost silent routine. Their daily/weekly/monthly meetings; the onboarding; their financial reporting and forms to fill out and procedures to be followed all just go on without much notice. But when it comes to sales and marketing you will hear about the “big company sales meeting” and sales reports can be a bear to prepare. It is so loud that everyone in the company is aware they are happening. But it is the everyday processes and procedures that aren’t spoken of that often and so they can be ignored. So, while sales and marketing may have meetings and may have reports to do, it is the day-to-day processes and procedures that are loosely followed.
Emotion (positive and negative), is recognized I believe more so in sales and marketing. Maybe because they are often told the company is counting on them, that they feel a lot is riding on their shoulders. Having a quota is a big responsibility you carry home with you, so the ups and downs create a rollercoaster of emotions.
While the emotions are bouncing, company management can try to keep the salespeople surrounded with a safety net, a form of security to bolster their convictions so they keep going for the win! And how do we do that? With a roadmap that is followed and put in place as a support mechanism for the team that has the entire company riding on their shoulders.
The RoadMap
a. Add a Lead Generation Process/Program.
i. Prepare and/or schedule proper content by persona.
II. Ensure continuous outreach to primary targets.
iii. Ensure continuous outreach to secondary targets.
iv. Send appropriate responses to leads.
b. Cheer on the clicks and help sales by providing proper response management.
c. (Win Room) Give some glee at certain checkpoints like:
i. Soft leads (Marketing Qualified Leads)
ii. Hard leads (Sales Qualified Leads)
iii. Incoming from website/conference leads
iv. Referrals
v. Meetings
vi. Proposals
vii. Bid Defense
viii. Wins/Loses
d. Lead Scoring - Make it a rewarding fun exercise.
e. Change Management when needed and not as a punishment.
f. Identification of Brand - Campaigns are fun!
i. Review client assessments/questionnaires.
ii. Understand competitors' market strategy.
iii. Ensure website and content materials reflect the proper branding.
iv. Ensure SME’s are aligned.
g. Ensure conference events align with the branding - Make a big splash.
h. Value propositions for go-to-market strategy - make it a social media extravaganza.
i. Prioritize product/service packages.
ii. Identify gaps/challenges/strengths.
i. Encourage salespeople to develop meaningful partnerships- encourage celebrations.
i. Identify the top three partners likely to help increase revenue.
ii. Arrange/schedule meetings.
iii. Identify potential go-to-market strategy.
iv. Continuous program of engagement.
Sales and Marketing are very unique and challenging functions for each company. Without support and foundational processes in place, the job is harder and results in high sales staff turnover.
Sales-Link is a veteran in lead generation and sales support for the pharma vendor services industry. Over two decades of professional engagements have prepared Sales-Link to support its customers.
