Sales Productivity

In our experience, the factors that most often prevent sales people from being more productive are

    1. Failure to properly manage sales situations,
    2. Ineffective use of company internal sales resources,
    3. Too much time spent on unqualified prospects, and
    4. Reactive, rather than proactive selling.

1. Sales organizations lose more sales to NDI (No Decision Inc.) than to any other competitor because their sales people fail to properly manage sales situations.

Our experience reveals that of all the opportunities considered by potential buyers, roughly 70% are won by the competitor we call NDI, No Decision, Inc. NDI wins a majority of the time because:
  • The prospect does not understand the magnitude of their business problem (and therefore the true cost of the problem), especially if the effects of the problem cross organizational lines;
  • The prospect does not understand how the proposed product or service will help them solve their business problem, or the prospect does not believe that their problem is solvable.
  • The prospect is not convinced of the value of the proposed product or service to their business.
  • The prospect fears that the potential costs of an unsuccessful transition outweigh the possible benefits offered by the proposed products or services.
  • The sales person fails to deal with a company officer with authority to make or influence the buying decision.
  • Can your sales people deliver a compelling business case for the use of your products/services by prospects in your target industries?
  • Do prospects have reason to believe that your sales people can command the resources within your company necessary to deliver the promised results?
  • Do your sales people waste valuable time calling on the wrong people in prospect companies?
  • Does your sales force feel comfortable talking about the kinds of issues executive-level officers are concerned with?
Would it help if your sales people:
  • had a process to follow to help the client assess the extent and cost of the business problem your product can solve?
  • knew how to prepare a factual business case for the use of your product in the prospect's company, including cost benefits?
  • could provide convincing evidence that your company had the expertise necessary to execute a successful transition?
  • knew techniques to identify whether they were dealing with a decision-maker?
  • were trained in how to gain access to decision-makers and in how to discuss issues and negotiate at this level?

2. Sales people do not know how to use internal staff "experts" to close sales.

We find that sales people often have excellent people and selling skills, but lack the industry and/or client knowledge to understand a prospect's business problems. This is especially true when the individual sells complex or highly sophisticated services to complex or highly technical industries.

Although "experts" with the necessary product, industry, and client knowledge work within the sales organization, most sales people do not know when and/or how to assemble these individuals into a "sales team" that can assess, design and discuss cost-justified business solutions to prospect problems.

  • Do your sales people have difficulty explaining how your products and services can be used to solve business problems?
  • Does your company sometimes waste company resources delivering dog-and-pony shows to prospects that do not become buyers?
  • Do your company's dog-and-pony shows address generic rather than prospect-specific business problems?
  • Would it help if your sales people had sales tools designed to help them discuss the specific business problems that your products and services are best able to solve?
  • What if they had guidelines for when and how each person in your organization should be used in the sales process, based on each person's particular knowledge and skills?
  • Would it help if subject matter experts were trained in how to effectively help the sales person prepare and present a prospect-specific business case justification for the use of your product or service?

3. Sales people often spend too much time on unqualified prospects.

We all know that not every sales situation is a winner, even when a prospect appears to be a "hot one". For example,
  • Your products and services may not be a cost-effective solution to the prospect's business problem;
  • The prospect may be using your company to justify a decision to buy a competitor's product;
  • The prospect may not be able to get the cash to buy your product.

We believe that "if you must lose, it is best to lose early" to minimize both the amount of scarce company resources spent on unqualified deals, and the opportunity of good sales lost while sales people pursue poor prospects.

  • Do your sales people and your sales managers know how to identify poor prospects early, so that they can avoid wasting valuable time where there is little real chance of winning?
  • Would it help if your sales team had a set of objective criteria to qualify a prospect's potential at each stage of the sales cycle?
  • What if your sales people had been trained in how to turn a poor opportunity into perhaps a good one?

4. Sales people are not proactive.

We believe that too many sales people wait for opportunities to come to them, rather than creating sales opportunities by identifying prospects that could benefit from their product/service capabilities.

  • Do your sales people avoid spending time on prospecting?
  • Have they been successful generating sales with their current approach to prospecting?
  • Do they regularly look for cross-sell or new opportunities with existing clients?
  • Would your sales people be more interested in prospecting if they had specific tools that would make their efforts more rewarding?
  • Would a regular account planning process help identify opportunities within existing clients?

McCrory & Company would like to introduce you to the sales process tools that have helped other companies make their sales teams more productive. CONTACT US

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