A Few Important Steps can keep a Sales Manager Focused and His or Her Team Accountable

A Few Important Steps can keep a Sales Manager Focused and His or Her Team Accountable

The position of sales manager often comes with multiple responsibilities. Each of which has a direct affect on the success of the organization.  The sales manager is frequently an active salesperson, as well as an administrator. He or she must make sure quotas are being met, margins are in line, pipelines are full, salespeople are making their calls and individuals are realistically matched to their positions and territories.

An effective sales manager realizes that a person’s behavior is the key to success. How a salesperson behaves towards his or her responsibilities has a direct link to results.

The individual who constantly complains about the state of the market, lack of leads and referrals, inability to get to the decision maker, etc. is usually better at making excuses than making sales.

The quandary for the sales manager is – how long should he or she put up with ineffective behavior? 

In order to answer that question, the sales manager must first look at the reporting structure that he or she has put in place for the entire sales team.

All sales teams should meet at least twice a month. I prefer once a week. And each sales person must be ready to report his or her results to everyone in the room (or on the conference call). One easy way to hold each person accountable, while enabling them to communicate weekly progress efficiently, is to use that good old stand-by…paper.

Calls/Contacts (which would include telephone calls, e-mails, etc.), Conversations (this measures how many calls and contacts actually turned into discussions, either on the phone, through e-mail, or one-on-one conversations), Appointments, Meetings Held, Number of Proposals Written, Dollar Value of Proposals Written, Number of Sales Closed, Dollar Value of Sales Closed, and Networking Events Attended. Under the Existing Clients category the headings may read the same with a few twists, such as, Reorders, Stop-By Visits, etc. Each column is then divided into rows, one for each day of the week.

At the sales meeting, each person photocopies and hands out his or her sheet to the others in attendance. This leads to accountability by one’s peers and allows each individual to measure his or her results against those of the others in the group. It is vitally important that everyone is non-judgmental. The sales manager ultimately holds judgment, however at the weekly sales meetings people should be able to ask for help, find out how those who are consistently producing do so, and learn techniques to improve sales production.

All customer or prospect conversations, sales, and other interactions with anyone within your organization’s sales or customer service process should be entered and summarized to enable the sales team, including inside salespeople, sales managers new salespersons, customer service representatives and others within the company to have a complete understanding as to the current situation with every client or prospect. This includes specific problems, new orders, satisfactory comments, etc.

This weekly sheet should also be photocopied and distributed by each salesperson to the others on the team. The “pipeline” sheet gives a snapshot of potential revenues and new clients. It is also a valuable tool in easing potential rough spots that a salesperson may be encountering. By laying out prospective companies and contacts one salesperson may find that another team member may have an alternate means of securing the sale.

A sales manager’s greatest tools are the ability to motivate, communicate with and support his or her team members, as well as measure the results of the salespeople under his or her guidance and the ability to construct a timeline for the of success the team and its members. Once processes are put in place, so that decisions can be quantified and qualified, the answer to the question posed at the beginning of this article becomes easy.

How long should a sales manager put up with ineffective behavior?

As long as the results and the behavior associated with them, within the timeline allotted, indicate it’s time to let the person go.

One last thought. If you are a one-person organization, the tools mentioned in this article work equally as well to measure your own productivity, goals desired and achieved prospects to contact, sales made, etc. You are your own sales manager and while you’re not apt to fire yourself you may find that you need help in the form of adding another person, finding a partner, creating a symbiotic relationship with another firm, or getting coaching or training to overcome your weaknesses and increase you strengths.

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Effective Sales Closing Techniques

Effective Sales Closing Techniques

Many small business owners either ignore or abhor the sales process and the idea of closing a sale would be even less appealing. Unfortunately, sales and marketing are the foundational functions that keep every business alive and growing and every successful business owner is selling and closing, whether they know it or like it. Selling is much more about educating and telling, then pushing and listening. A truly good sales person, regardless of what they are selling, is a master at determining their clients needs and finding solutions for them. The sooner each business owner realizes the importance of selling and closing and makes a decision to educate themselves on techniques and principals associated with selling and closing, the sooner their business will grow. 

Closing is the last step in the sales process; asking your prospective client for their business. Although closing is a critical step, many people skip it unintentionally. They assume their prospect will automatically give them their business. Although this does occur occasionally, closing the sale is as important as crossing the finish line at the end of a race.

Many people resist “closing” for fear of rejection. Don’t be afraid to close and ask for the business, whenever possible. You will know when your prospects’ interest is high, so take advantage of the timing by asking for their business or for asking them if they would like to take a class. Don’t be afraid to close because in most cases, if you unsuccessfully attempt to close, you are both informing your prospect of your intent (to offer them your service/product) and you will receive an instant indicator as to where they are at in the sales process.

Frequently, people express interest by asking for details about you and your service. Use this as a guide that their interest is high and a close at this time could be the nudge that puts them over the hump. If they don’t commit after your initial close, there is some type of objection standing in the way. Try to determine the objection or concern and, if you can address it, try to close again.

Trial Close: 

To close your prospective client, you must determine their level of interest. You can do this by using a “trial close”. A trial close is usually a question that gets the prospect thinking about the possibility of using your services. For example, a car salesman may use a trial close with an interested buyer by asking them what color they prefer. If the buyer answers with a color, the salesperson knows the buyer’s interest is high. They have obviously imagined themselves owning the car of a particular color. You can use a trial close, as well, to determine your prospective clients level of interest. In fact, trial closes builds interest by getting your prospect to think of you as a service provider.

Assumptive close: 

Another effective closing technique is an “assumptive close”. This is simply a statement that implies that you will do business with your prospect. Like the trial close, the assumptive close gets them to think of you as a service provider. It can also be used throughout the sales process to determine and build interest. Unlike the trial close, the assumptive close is usually posed as a statement.

The close should be a very conscious part of the sales process and when you enter into a closing opportunity, confirm that you have: 

• ·        Familiarized yourself with closing options 
• ·        Thought out ways to overcome objections 
• ·        Successfully created enough interest in your service
• ·        Have mental and emotional clarity about closing
• ·        Have clear pricing objectives
• ·        Have prepared a way to accept payment
• ·        Have an agreement or contract ready if necessary

Alternate choice close:

Another powerful closing technique is called the “alternative choice close”. This technique gives your prospective client several options on any particular aspect of your service.   

The alternative choice close is usually posed as a question that prompts your prospective client to consider how to do business with you versus whether or not to do business with you. It can be done throughout the sales process. 

When using the alternative choice close, try to limit your choices to two options. Once the prospect answers the question by selecting one of the options, have them commit to specifics immediately.

It is recommended  to add a form to your website offering some type of free analysis or a free offer. This will often times initiate the sales process by allowing you to develop a contact with the potential client to determine their needs and to educate them as to how you can become a solution for their needs. Don’t look at closing and selling as a way of manipulating your prospective clients, but as an opportunity for you to show them that your service can serve their needs. It is very important to be successful at closing and selling so that you are not only comfortable with your service, but you feel that there is a great need for your service. Your job is to be more proactive in terms of making others aware that they need your service. As you probably know, there is a great deal of resistance to change amongst those considering using your services and selling and closing are the ways of overcoming that resistance. 

Additional Closing Tips 

• ·        Ask for the business
• ·        Ask for the business again
• ·        Ask for commitment using the alternate choice close
• ·        Create a sense of urgency with temporary discounts and promotions
• ·        Keep your energy and enthusiasm high, don’t lose steam at the end
• ·        Don’t oversell, ask for the business and quietly wait for a response
• ·        Move into closing seamlessly and without hesitation
• ·        Visualize yourself successfully getting the business

Remember to not be afraid to promote your services proactively. Most business owners know that most people need their services, so take it on as a conscious mission to learn more about the sales and closing processes and to implement as many techniques as possible so that you can help more people.

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