If you are missing your sales targets and you’ve evaluated your entire sales staff, and possibly even let some reps go, in efforts to get things on track, here’s a question to ask yourself – Is it them, or is it you?
When it comes right down to it, sales people that are underperforming either don’t belong on the team or aren’t getting the guidance they need from you.
What are you doing to hire the right people?
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Know what you are looking for – have you analyzed your selling environment and characterized the role in terms of sales experience, skills, and DNA someone would need to be successful on your team?
Hire Objectively – does your interview process screen each applicant with the same process to objectively assess who is best suited to succeed? Do you settle for who is available or wait to find people highly likely to succeed?
Check Up On References. You’d be amazed at how often sales managers, particularly those working at small companies without human resources divisions, don’t check up on the people they’re hiring. You’d be surprised how often a simple call could have saved a hiring manager a lot of headaches.
And what are you doing to make sure your reps are successful?
Analyze Your Sales Goals. Are these goals attainable? Do your reps have the support and resources to achieve the targets?
Take Time Out for Training and Sharpening Their Skills. Do you reps receive the product and sales training they require to be successful? Elite athletes have trainers, so it should come as no surprise that even seasoned sales people need to develop new skills and stay sharp.
Meet Regularly and Coach Them – Your reps are not likely to stay on track by themselves. Do you meet with them regularly to make sure they are practicing the right behaviors and performing the actions that will make them successful? Are you helping them close key wins?
If a particular member of sales staff isn’t working out, it makes sense to weed them out – but if you are not helping your reps be successful, you may find you spend all your time weeding and replacing rather than celebrating success.
If you are missing your sales targets and you’ve evaluated your entire sales staff, and possibly even let some reps go, in efforts to get things on track, but here’s a question to ask yourself – Is it them, or is it you?
When it comes right down to it, sales people that are underperforming either don’t belong on the team or aren’t getting the guidance they need from you.
What are you doing to hire the right people?
Know what you are looking for – have you analyzed your selling environment and characterized the role in terms of sales experience, skills, and DNA someone would need to be successful on your team?
Hire Objectively – does your interview process screen each applicant with the same process to objectively assess who is best suited to succeed? Do you settle for who is available or wait to find people highly likely to succeed?
Check Up On References. You’d be amazed at how often sales managers, particularly those working at small companies without human resources divisions, don’t check up on the people they’re hiring. You’d be surprised how often a simple call could have saved a hiring manager a lot of headaches.
And what are you doing to make sure your reps are successful?
Analyze Your Sales Goals. Are these goals attainable? Do your reps have the support and resources to achieve the targets?
Take Time Out for Training and Sharpening Their Skills. Do you reps receive the product and sales training they require to be successful? Elite athletes have trainers, so it should come as no surprise that even seasoned sales people need to develop new skills and stay sharp.
Meet Regularly and Coach Them – Your reps are not likely to stay on track by themselves. Do you meet with them regularly to make sure they are practicing the right behaviors and performing the actions that will make them successful? Are you helping them close key wins?
If a particular member of sales staff isn’t working out, it makes sense to weed them out – but if you are not helping your reps be successful, you may find you spend all your time weeding and replacing rather than celebrating success.
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