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How To Align Your Sales Organization And Sales Strategy

If prospecting, pricing, and training aren’t holding your sales organization back from success, you might be putting a break on revenue growth. As a sales leader, you must direct the sales strategy. That includes making thoughtful decisions about the sales organization structure. 

Four Signs That Your Sales Organization Needs An Update

Changing your company’s sales organizational structure is disruptive. It can temporarily reduce performance. Before embarking on this change, consider whether it is the right move. If you see the following signs, an organizational change may be needed.

  • Significant Changes To Products and Services

If your company has recently added several new offerings, your old way of selling may need an update. Asking salespeople to become knowledgeable on various products is challenging, especially when those products are highly customizable. As you add new products, it becomes more difficult for your salespeople to stay up to date and sell everything effectively.

  • Significant Pricing Changes

Annual price changes are not a concern here. Instead, the question is whether the organization has developed more significant percentage increases in prices, new bundles, or the elimination of older price offerings. For example, an organization might have developed custom price quotes for enterprise customers while smaller customers pay a standard price. If this indicator is present with the next item in the list, it may be vital to reassess the organizational structure.

  • Major Change In Target Market

Changing your target market or distribution model may require a new sales approach. For example, a successful marketing program may significantly increase the quantity and quality of inbound leads. In that case, assigning dedicated sales reps to handle those leads may be worthwhile. Further, pursuing a new target market in another country or seeking institutional (e.g., government or university) customers may need a different approach.

  • Declining Employee Satisfaction

Many factors contribute to a fall in employee satisfaction. For instance, your sales staff may want to avoid long commutes and switch to emphasizing remote work. Another factor might be a perceived lack of career advancement opportunities in the sales organization. An updated sales organization structure may help to address some of these challenges. In addition, boredom may strike some of your employees if they feel there is little or no innovation in the department.

After reviewing the state of your sales organization, you’ve decided that it is time to update your sales team. Use this five-step process to approach the question of updating your sales organizational structure for strategic growth.

Aligning Your Sales Organization And Sales Strategy

Step 1: Review Your Sales Strategy

Resist the urge to start by tinkering with your sales organizational chart. Instead, the first step should focus on your sales strategy. Take a close look at your strategy with the following questions.

  • What type of customer do we want more of?
  • What are the critical steps in our sales cycle?
  • Are we on track to meet the organization’s revenue goals annually or quarterly?
  • Are salespeople receiving good coaching and support to continue growing?
  • Do we have the proper training and technology to support the team?
  • Is the sales team effective at talent management? Are there opportunities for both newer and experienced salespeople to thrive?

In addition to hitting this year’s revenue target, consider if you have the right capabilities to hit next year’s growth goals. For instance, your strategy may include expanding to take on government customers with complex procurement processes. In that situation, ask if your current sales team is equipped to execute the company’s strategy to sell to state and federal government customers.

Step 2: Is the current organizational structure helping or hurting?

The next phase of the process will require some deep thought. You must reflect on what your salespeople tell you in meetings and their behavior. Evaluate whether the team has the capacity and skills to execute your sales strategy.  

In a minor sales team of 10 people or less, the best way to gather information is to set up 1-on-1 meetings with each of your salespeople. Before the meeting, send a summary of the organization’s sales strategy. In the meeting, ask each person for their perspective on what is needed to deliver the strategy. 

In a larger sales organization, gather information by using a combination of employee surveys and meetings with sales managers.

After you receive the responses, look for themes in the responses. For example, if many employees complain about non-sales administration tasks, you may want to add a sales administrative assistant.

Step 3: Develop your ideal sales structure

Now that you have a renewed understanding of your sales strategy and input from the team, it is time to develop your ideal sales organization chart. Don’t let practical considerations stop you from dreaming big! For example, if you want to support each account executive with a sales development representative (SDR), note that on the chart. Note that factor if you see value in segmenting your sales team between small businesses and enterprises.

After you finish the ideal sales structure of job titles and reporting lines, it is time to look closely at your current sales talent.

Step 4: Examine Sales Staff Performance Vs. The Strategy and Organization Chart

This step will call on your judgment and understanding of each person on the sales team. In essence, ask what roles each person should play in the new sales organization you are developing. 

As you go through the process, start with your top sales performers. Retaining these salespeople should be a top priority. How can you offer growth in responsibilities and compensation to your senior staff? Some companies recognize their top performers by giving their sales titles (e.g., enterprise account executive) that carry higher quotas, more complex deals, and higher compensation.

After evaluating your top performers, assigning the rest of your staff to new roles in the organization chart should be easier. If some people in the sales team don’t have an apparent new home in the new organization chart, you have some decisions to make. For example, an outstanding salesperson supporting current customers may perform better in a customer service role. Alternatively, if you see no way to enhance their performance, it may be time to part ways with some salespeople.

Step 5: Launch the new organization structure for sales

By this step, you are ready to announce the sales organization structure. Employees likely know that change is coming because you have already signaled your intentions through meetings and surveys. Factoring employee input into the new organizational structure will help to retain many of your best and brightest salespeople.

As you prepare to announce the new sales organization, remember that this is a sales task. If your sales staff do not see the value in the new way of doing business, they may start heading for the exits and leave the company. Take the time to meet with staff individually and introduce their new responsibilities.

What If You Have Gaps In Your Sales Organization Chart?

Bringing a new sales organization chart to life often takes new employees. Reach out to Peak Sales Executive Search today to discuss your sales talent needs. We’ve helped companies find sales managers, sales vice presidents, and many other roles. 

Are Your Sales Teams Positioned For High Growth?

As a sales leader, significant responsibility rests on your shoulders. You’re accountable for the sales team’s results. It’s also your responsibility to grow, develop and improve the sales department over time with influential professionals, technology and processes. 

Why Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Is Critical For Sales

Constantly looking for new sales professionals for sales operations, sales reps, and business development to join your organization is a necessity for a straightforward reason. The highest performing sales professionals in your team have no shortage of opportunities. They have recruiters contacting them regularly. Also, they may aim to move up to a management role. 

Regularly dedicating time to recruiting new sales talent is challenging. Most of our clients tell us that other urgent priorities keep them from focusing on recruiting. For example, you might need to step in to help a junior sales rep close a complex deal, approve a pricing change or support a company-wide project. These activities mean that recruiting activities are often pushed to the side.

With recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), your sales department leadership permanently shifts to growth. Every quarter, you will meet with new sales talent that meets your organization’s needs. That means growth and recovering from turnover will become far more straightforward. To ensure that growth unfolds smoothly, follow the steps below. 

Step 1: Review The Sales Strategy

The sales strategy should be your North Star in terms of developing the sales organization. Reviewing the sales strategy is especially important if you are newer to your sales leadership role. In addition, deeply understanding the sales strategy is essential because you will constantly need to reinforce and guide your sales staff to meet the strategy.

Review the following aspects of your sales strategy so that you can easily explain it to your sales colleagues.

  • What is the organization’s ideal customer profile? While there is some flexibility in the ideal customer profile, it is important to keep your organization’s capabilities in mind. For example, your organization may want to focus on domestic customers rather than multinational companies.
  • What are the typical sales steps of your sales process?
  • What are the most critical sales technologies, templates, and resources each person has?
  • What are sales training resources available to employees? 

Once you have confirmed your understanding of the sales strategy, take a thoughtful look at the sales organization structure.

Step 2: Evaluate the sales organizational structure

The next step is to evaluate the sales organizational structure. There are a few common situations that may hold your company back from realizing its goals. To measure your sales organizational structure for effectiveness, explore these questions with your sales management peers.

  • Is the sales team focused on achieving our sales strategy?
  • Do we have enough qualified sales people to reach our goals?
  • Do we have the infrastructure in place to support the sales team in terms of people and processes?
  • What is the turnover trend in the sales team?

As you explore these questions, look beyond the wins or losses achieved by any one individual. It’s still possible for heroic efforts to deliver success despite the system. However, our objective is to develop an organizational structure and culture that supports success.

Step 3: What would your ideal sales structure look like?

For example, your sales strategy may have gradually shifted to emphasize winning enterprise accounts at large companies. Successfully earning that business takes a different set of capabilities. You may need sales engineers to explain technical capabilities in detail. In addition, you may need to engage with procurement departments.

In this situation, a sales department made up of generalist sales representatives may have limited effectiveness. To lift win rates further, consider retooling the sales team to include specialist roles like business development and sales engineers. 

While specialized sales roles add a great deal of value, they are not right for every situation. For instance, a small company or a startup may only need two salespeople at the beginning. After a year or two of growth, it may be time to reevaluate that small team and see if it still makes sense.

Step 4: Review The Performance of The Sales Team 

The next part of the process is to evaluate the performance of your current sales team. For example, you may find some salespeople are excellent at account management while others are excellent at prospecting. In that case, reorganizing the sales team into sales and account managers may be a worthwhile step.

In addition to moving people to new roles, it is important to have some difficult conversations. For example, underperforming salespeople may need to be put on a performance improvement plan. If those plans are unsuccessful, it may be time to ask that employee to leave the sales team.

Step 5: Plan the launch of the new sales team organization

Launching your new sales organization is the final part of the process. Take your time to communicate the change carefully so that salespeople and customers have time to adjust to the change. Keep these tips in mind as you plan the change.

  • Focus on the sales strategy

Organization changes tend to cause fear, uncertainty and doubt. Reinforce that the organization structure is changing in order to meet the company’s sales strategy.

  • Make Time For Your People.

When a new sales organization is announced, it is natural to see some changes. Some salespeople will be happy with the change while others may decide to leave. As a sales leader, make more time for 1 on 1 meetings and other avenues to connect with your staff.

  • Get Your Recruiting Process Outsourcing (RPO) Provider Ready

Implementing a new sales organization is a journey. You will almost certainly need more sales talent to reach your goals. You may create new sales positions you have never had before and bring in new sales managers. Recruiting process outsourcing (RPO) is an excellent way to support your growth.

The 12 Best Sales Books For New Salespeople

As a new salesperson, you have the opportunity to thrive in one of the world’s most rewarding professions. Finding success in sales takes focus, discipline, and the right knowledge. Read one book a month for the next year, and you’ll be equipped with the critical knowledge and strategies required to succeed.

Books On Sales Fundamentals

These first few books give you a crash course experience in sales. Each book offers a different perspective on sales and illustrates those principles with various stories and research. Exposing yourself to various sales techniques and ideas is one of the best ways to discover new perspectives. 

1. SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

Spin Selling - Neil Rackham book cover

SPIN Selling is one of the most famous research-driven sales books ever published. The author studied many successful salespeople to identify the specific techniques and methods. The book’s methodology is particularly well suited to B2B sales and those who like a process-driven approach to selling. 

2. To Sell Is Human by Dan Pink 

To Sell is Human - Dan Pink

In contrast to Rackham’s approach, Dan Pink’s best-selling sales book differs. Pink argues that almost all jobs involve selling in some form. The book offers fresh air to people with an unfounded negative perception of the sales profession. In addition, Pink offers several interesting sales techniques drawn from history, science, and theatre to help connect with buyers. 

3. Sell It Like Serhant: How to Sell More, Earn More, and Become the Ultimate Sales Machine by Ryan Serhant

Ryan Serhant is best known as one of the most famous real estate brokers in New York City. He started his real estate selling career in 2008, right after the financial crisis. While Serhant’s book and stories focus on real estate sales, the principles apply to other types of sales. If you are looking for an accessible and entertaining introduction to sales, Sell It Like Serhant is a great pick.

4. The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies by Chet Holmes

If you aim to get promoted in your sales career, Holmes’s book is a must-read. He covers fundamentals like time management and sales techniques. He also covers ways to manage employees. The book is famous for the value of pig-headed discipline and determination in sales. 

Books To Develop Specific Sales Skills 

The first set of books serves as your general foundation for learning about sales. This book set goes deeper by covering some of the most critical selling skills. While reading these books is no replacement for practice, they can considerably speed up your learning process.

5. Fanatical Prospecting by Jeb Blount

Prospecting is the starting point of every sale. Yet many newer salespeople struggle to pick up the phone and send emails or other messages to people they don’t know. Blount offers practical tips, advice, and inspiration to help you start making sales calls, week in and week out. In particular, the book is excellent at providing direction for phone prospecting.

If you (or your sales manager!) expect you to make cold calls to get sales opportunities, “Fanatical Prospecting” is your guide. 

6. Cold Email Manifesto by Alex Berman and Robert Indries

Does making fifty, a hundred, or even more daily sales calls make you uncomfortable? In that case, all hope is not lost – there are other ways to set up sales meetings. This short book, published in 2022, reveals the specific techniques for sending cold emails and setting meetings for B2B sales. The authors run a marketing agency, X27, that sells lead generation services based on sending cold emails. 

7. Objections: The Ultimate Guide for Mastering The Art and Science of Getting Past No by Jeb Blount

The last two books will help you get in front of potential customers. As the conversation progresses, you will face objections like “your price is too high!” This book will help develop answers to common objections in sales. In particular, the book provides excellent guidance in understanding the different types of objections: prospecting objections, red herrings, micro-commitments objections, and buying commitment objectives. This book is an excellent intermediate read to lift your close sales rates over time.

8. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Do you ever wish everyday conversation came with a manual? Carnegie’s classic book has been in print for decades for a good reason. It gives you proven strategies to start and develop relationships. Don’t let the book’s older language or examples put you off. The principles in this book have stood the test of time. For example, Carnegie explains how to become a better listener, which is essential to developing customer connections.

Strategy & Personal Productivity Books

This final book recommendations section moves beyond core sales and gives you a broader perspective. The strategy books will help you to understand executives and your role in the company. The personal productivity books will equip you with the techniques to ensure you get the most out of your work time.

9. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman 

As a salesperson, you may not see or understand every aspect of a business. To better understand how all of the parts of a business work together, read Traction. This book defined the “Entrepreneurial Operating System” (i.e., EOS). It breaks down the business into six essential components: vision, data, process, traction, issues, and people.

Understanding the EOS framework can help you sell better as a salesperson. For example, look for ways to connect your solution to data, processes, and issues. By showing that your solution can improve several aspects of a business, you’re more likely to gain a hearing. 

Tip:

Reading “Traction” is an excellent fit for salespeople who want a broad perspective and aspire to management. 

What if the company leadership perspective isn’t a good fit for you? In that case, look at the author’s book aimed at individual employees instead: What the Heck Is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS by Gino Wickman. 

10. 3HAG WAY: The Strategic Execution System that ensures your strategy is not a Wild-Ass-Guess! by Shannon Byrne Susko  

Many salespeople are tightly focused on short-term goals like meeting their quarterly or annual sales goals. To get a broader perspective, read the “3HAG Way.” This book is all about setting achievable ambitious three-year goals. For example, your company might have a three-year goal to own a specific market segment. This short book is worth your time because it will broaden your perspective. You will also have better conversations with company leaders already thinking about next year.

11. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

If there were a superior productivity and personal organization book, it would be Getting Things Done. If you struggle to stay organized with your sales tasks like follow-up, developing proposals, and projects, this book can help you. You will get busier over time as you implement the insights from other books in this post. Use Getting Things Done to make you don’t lose track of anything. 

12. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Distractions are all around us. The temptation to squander our time on social media, conversation, and other activities is ever-present. Newport’s book is the antidote. He argues that pursuing deep work – intense focus on your most challenging tasks – for just a few hours per day can change everything. Newport is an author and professor, so it will take some creativity to adapt the principles to sales. For example, your deep work might consist of prospecting, sales appointments, and proposals. Use 

Developing Sales Talent Through Books And Training Takes Time: Need A Faster Solution?

Investing the time to read even just a dozen books can have a life-changing effect on a salesperson. However, it can take several quarters or even longer read and fully apply all of the insights in these books. What if you need to raise sales productivity more quickly? Reach out to Peak Sales today to explore how to recruit high-performing salespeople. We have proven methods to identify successful, highly developed, and flourishing sales professionals. Why not let us bring them to your organization?

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How To Run An Effective Sales Contest

Sales contests are a proven way to create excitement in the sales team. They add variety to the year and help to make the day to day of sales more exciting. 

It’s essential to be thoughtful when creating your sales contest. With the wrong approach, it’s more than possible to create harmful incentives and hurt team morale. Use this guide to design a sales contest that delivers excitement without any of the side effects!

What is A Sales Contest?

A sales contest is a time-honored tradition in the sales profession. Typically, a sales contest runs for 30 days. That said, some companies may run contests for longer periods if they have a longer sales cycle.

The sales contest usually includes an incentive beyond cash – it might be a free trip to a resort, gift cards to a great restaurant, or something else. During the contest, it’s common to have leaderboards or reports that show how everybody is performing.

Sales contests work because they tap into the competitive nature of many salespeople. Unlike an annual sales quota, a sales contest usually has a short timeline that is much easier to meet. 

4 Ideas For Your Next Sales Contest

The first step to launching an effective sales contest is choosing the right sales idea. It all depends on the type of sales behavior you’re seeking to encourage. 

1) The Rejection Therapy Contest (“Most Nos”)

A few years ago, Jia Jiang started an unusual experiment – 100 days of rejection. Jiang made a series of unusual requests like asking to play soccer in a stranger’s backyard and making the announcements on a Southwest flight. He later published a best-selling book, “Rejection Therapy,” explaining his insights.

The key principle behind Jiang’s success was a willingness to face rejection. In sales, it’s often necessary to make requests and face rejection to achieve your goals. 

To build a sales contest around this concept, keep the rules simple. For example, your contest may focus on cold call prospecting. In that case, to earn a “no” requires the salesperson to speak to a live person and get rejected. The winner is the person who gets the most no’s on sales calls during the contest. 

This sales contest approach works because it makes rejection into a game. By being willing to face more no from prospects, it’s almost inevitable that your team will make more sales as a result.

2) Most Sales Meetings Scheduled In Two Weeks 

This sales contest idea focuses on a different activity – getting meetings booked! This type of sales contest is particularly suited for sales development representatives already focused on setting meetings. 

Set some rules on what type of meetings qualify for the contest. For example, you may exclude meetings with current customers from the contest.

3) The Most Referrals Contest

A different approach may be valuable for a mature sales team who regularly hit their quota. With this contest idea, you’re encouraging your sales team to look for opportunities in your current customer base. Like the previous contest ideas, this contest reinforces good sales habits – regularly asking for referrals – that will close more sales over time.

It’s smart to put a few rules around a referral contest. Award contest points for each conversation held with a referred person. Simply gathering contact information is not enough! In addition, you might award double points if the referred person progresses to the next step of the sales process like agreeing to a demo of your software. 

4) Highest Sales Contest

We saved the most common sales contest for last: the revenue based sales competition. In this contest, you simply measure the number of new sales (or the dollar value of new sales generated). For this contest to be meaningful, calibrate the contest duration to your typical sales cycle.

In retail sales, it might take less than an hour to close a sale while B2B sales can take much longer to close. If your sales person typically closes 1 sale per day, then a 30 day sales contest makes sense. On the other hand, if a sale usually takes three months, then you might want to focus on the dollar value of the sale. 

The Anatomy of Highly Effective Sales Contests 

Choosing the end goal for your sales contest is the most important decision. Use these tips to fine tune the parameters of your contest. For inspiration, think about major league sports. Every popular sport is defined by a set of rules. Likewise, applying clear guardrails to your sales contest helps to keep the event focused.

Time Your Sales Contest Effectively

Deciding when in the year to hold a sales contest is an important test. Think about existing sales deadlines like year-end and quarter-end as a starting point. For example, if October is typically your best sales month, consider scheduling your sales contest for September to kickstart the season’s momentum. 

Set Clear Rules For Success

Before the contest starts, lay out clear rules for what counts. For example, if your sales contest is based on the number of sales meetings, you may want to clarify meetings with existing customers do not count toward the contest.

Use A Leaderboard For Daily Motivation 

During the contest, share a daily leaderboard report with your sales team. In many cases, it should be possible to run a report from your customer relationship management (CRM) system. Sending daily progress reports is a great way to keep motivation levels high throughout the contest.

Consider Secondary Prizes

Most contests offer multiple rewards – like gold, silver and bronze – and you should consider this principle in your sales contest as well. Keep in mind that there should be a clear distinction in value between each reward level. For example, the gold reward might be a resort vacation trip, the silver reward could be a $200 gift card to a local restaurant and the third place could be a bonus vacation day.

Hand Out The Sales Rewards Quickly  

When the sales contest comes to an end, it is vital to give out the rewards quickly. For example, consider ending the sales contest on a Thursday so that you can announce the winners on Friday.

The Limitations of Sales Contests

While powerful, sales contests do have some limitations. They are typically focused on helping to encourage individual performers to boost their sales effectiveness. A sales contest is not a replacement for a capable and caring sales manager coaching your sales professionals. Likewise, a sales contest is not suited for solving strategic challenges like improving collaboration between sales and marketing.

Hiring a new sales leader is one of the best ways to make progress on your strategic sales goals. Peak Sales Executive Search uses a structured scientific process to identify sales leaders with a strong track record. Contact us today to discuss your sales recruiting needs.

Selling During A Recession: What You Need To Know

Rising interest rates, the highest inflation rate in decades, and war in Europe… 

These are just some signs that a recession may be on the horizon. Despite these worrying developments, selling during a recession is possible. Use these strategies to position yourself to succeed in the next recession.

Step 1: Change your relationship with the business news

The first step to selling successfully in a recession is to change how you view the news. Start by understanding the impact of the negativity bias on media outlets. 

Ever come across the news saying: “if it bleeds, it leads”? The phrase, which first appeared in print in 1989, describes a tendency in journalism to focus on the violent, depressing and negative. If you’ve ever wondered why the media focuses on crime, war, and other negative reasons, negativity bias is a crucial reason.

The negativity bias is the human tendency to scan the environment for threats regularly. In an evolutionary sense, this predisposition served us well in the past. Yet, the negative emphasis of much news reporting is unhelpful to sales professionals. 

Think about how you feel when you read articles about unemployment, people struggling to pay their bills, and shortages. You probably start to feel worried about your future. At best, spending a lot of time-consuming negative news coverage distracts you from your work. At worst? Consuming significant amounts of negative news coverage will leave you feeling sad, discouraged, or stressed out.

The solution is to change your approach to consuming the news. Specifically, we recommend going on a low-news diet. In a recessionary environment, the quantity of negative economic news is likely to skyrocket. However, very little of this information is actionable. By only consuming news information directly relevant to your sales goals, you’ll save time and minimize the chance of distraction.

Action Step: Set up Google Alerts for your top 10 current customers and 10 target accounts. 

By focusing your news consumption on specific companies relevant to your sales goals, you will free up time and free up energy. To set up your Google News alerts, you will get information about companies and people that matter to your sales work. 

Advanced Tip: Break Your Morning News Habit

Some of you may have the habit of starting your work day by reading the news. In that case, it will take more effort to change your habits. Instead, shift your focus to reading a good sales or business book. We’ve published a guide to our favorite sales and business books here.

Step 2: Deepen relationships with customer relationships

The first step was about changing unhelpful habits. This step focuses your attention on how you deal with customers. Most salespeople are trained and incentivized to focus on landing new accounts. Let the sales commission compensation program and management direction guide your emphasis is perfectly natural.

In an economic downturn, your customers will likely be affected in various ways. Some will be directly hit by declining revenue, supply chain problems, and worse. Other customers may suffer indirectly – like experiencing feelings of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. Sometimes, your customers may be under pressure to cut costs like doing business with your company!

To protect your company’s current and prospects, now is the time to deepen your relationships with customers. At a minimum, set aside a few hours each week over the next quarter to reinforce your key relationships. 

Action Steps

Use these tips to deepen your customer relationships:

1) Check-in with customer service for any open issues with your customers.

Nobody likes to feel ignored or unimportant! Yet, that is the exact feeling your customers are likely to experience when their requests and complaints go unanswered. Start by checking internally with your customer service colleagues about your top customers. If there are open issues, do what you can to escalate these issues and get them solved.

2) Reach out to customers to find out what’s new

Over the last few years, many people have changed jobs and found new opportunities. Avoid assuming that the data you have in your CRM from 2020 or 2019 is still current. On your next call with customers, find out about your customer’s work context. Do they have a new boss? Has there been a reorganization? Are there new executives? New policies that might affect purchases?

3) Express your gratitude to customers

There is a new generation of scientific research exploring the power of gratitude. Researchers at Berkeley found that gratitude exercises – including writing letters of thanks – can improve mental health and help people avoid toxic thoughts. In that spirit, set yourself a goal to write thank you notes to your top 10 or 20 customers. To really stand out, consider sending a card in the mail. Few people send cards so it is a great way to stand out and be remembered.

Step 3: Evolve your sales techniques for the downturn

The final strategy is to evolve your selling techniques to respond to downturn scenarios. The specific implementation of this strategy will vary depending on what you sell and your customers. The following principles will help you to get started in fine tuning your approach.

Action Steps

1) Spend more effort understanding your customer’s worries and concerns

Understanding your customer is a longstanding principle. The change here is one of emphasis. In an economic downturn, potential customers may be preoccupied with negative news. For example, they may have seen a colleague at their organization lose their job due to layoffs. Taking the time to understand these concerns in greater depth before making a pitch is an effective way to show you care.

2) Look for recession-friendly benefits in what you sell

Even in a recession, the economy keeps running! Even during the depths of the Great Recession of 2008-2009, trillions of dollars of purchases were made in the United States. With that in mind, remind yourself that there are still plenty of sales to be made. One way to unlock more potential sales lies in finding recession friendly benefits like cost savings and risk reduction.

For inspiration, read through your company’s case studies and talk to your own past customers about what they liked most about your product.

3) Raise your sales activity levels

In tough times, sales cycles tend to get longer. For example, a B2B sale may now require multiple people to approve it, including executives. Given these kinds of changes, it is vital to double down on what you can control as a salesperson: your daily activity. Set yourself a goal to increase your sales activity (e.g. cold calls, referral requests, cold emails) by at least 5% to keep your pipeline healthy.

Economic Downturns: A Great Opportunity To Find New Sales Talent

Mass layoffs have already hit multiple firms in the technology industry. While those job losses are tragic, there is an upside. Recruiting new sales people to join your organization now is easier. Work with Peak to discover how we can help your organization get salespeople with a proven track record today.

Visit our blog section for more Insights!

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It’s a Candidate’s Market, Are You Ready To Compete?

It happened – The Great Resignation gave rise to a market where there are now two sales positions open for every one qualified candidate.  Many employers are scrambling to retain their employees, others are pulling out all the stops to attract new candidates. 

Across sectors of the economy, the job market now favors employees and potential candidates. This change is leading some employers to adopt unconventional tactics. The food industry is particularly aggressive: A McDonald’s in Florida is paying applicants $50 to show up for job interviews.

Professional employers are also adopting new ways to appeal to employees. For example, San Francisco advertising agency Traction has closed its office and switched to a fully remote model. Other companies are experimenting with the hybrid model like Microsoft, which has proposed a combination of remote and in-office work.

Macroeconomic factors will only tell you so much. It is vital to diagnose your sales department’s retention & attraction situation to know whether you are ready to compete with these uncontrollable market factors.

Step 1: Understand Your Current Talent Situation

Employee Turnover Statistics. Track how your department’s turnover rate has trended since 2018. An increase in turnover can signal discontent. A very low turnover rate is a great selling point to potential candidates. 

Evidence of Career Progression. Ask yourself how many people in your department have been promoted over the last 18 months. A lack of promotion opportunities will discourage the most ambitious professionals.

Flexibility. Expecting all employees to work in the office building 9-5 Monday to Friday no longer makes sense. According to a FlexJobs survey, 96% of workers desire some remote work (either full time remote or a hybrid arrangement).

Step 2: Improve Retention & Attraction By Removing Pain Points

Based on what you learn from the previous step, there are a few different ways to boost retention and attraction by reducing problems.

Improve Technology. Did your employees complain about manual processes or repetitive tasks? For example, your employees might struggle with video calls. Equipping staff with lights and better headsets might be the best solution. Offering candidates an ‘onboarding’ bonus to get them set up for success in their home office.  

Improve Access To Leadership & Management. Waiting to hear back from managers is frustrating for employees. Ambitious candidates want to know they can ensure facetime with leadership to grow their careers.  Encourage your managers and leaders to experiment with scheduling regular “office hours” where staff can drop in to get answers to their questions.

Step 3: Improve Retention and Attraction With Recognition And Listening

There are two kinds of incentives that sales talent should consider: financial and non-financial incentives. Sometimes you may have limited ability to boost pay and benefits. In that case, use non-financial incentives to boost retention.

Offer Project Opportunities. Look for ways to give your employees more growth opportunities by participating in cross-company projects.

Encourage Networking. You can reward top-performing professionals by opening your network to them. You can also offer supplements to reduce the cost of participating in conferences.  

Step 4: Assess Your Compensation Package

The compensation package you offer is the final element to consider to boost retention and attraction.

Take Inflation Seriously. Increased inflation translates into a pay cut for employees as their dollars can no longer buy as much food, transportation, and other goods.  

Benchmark Your Salaries. Check your salary levels and see if they remain competitive with the rest of your industry. You can ask a recruiting expert like Peak Sales RPO Search for advice. If your salaries are below the median for the industry, retention and recruitment will be more difficult.

Augment Your Recruiting Strategy

Aiming for 100% talent retention is not a realistic goal. Assuming your turnover rate is reasonably close to industry averages, you can turn your attention to improving retention.

Working with an experienced recruiting firm like Peak Sales Recruiting  is essential. Rather than hoping your job posting happens to gain attention online, we can help you gain access to more high-quality candidates, including those not actively looking for a new position.

Click here to contact Peak Sales Recruiting today.

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Motivate Your New Sales Team: Checklist

Keeping morale up and revenue flowing is harder during challenging times. As the world works toward finding its footing again, here are ways to help keep your new sales team focused, productive and happy:

Stick to the Basics

Whether you’re in an industry that has blown up or one that’s been blown away in the past few years, remember that people in sales are motivated primarily by money, with conquering challenges and helping customers solve problems also playing a role. Whatever window dressing you want to put around it, great salespeople are hunters. That doesn’t mean you ignore other motivators, like the others on this list. Just don’t forget the basics. Revenue fluctuations also mean changes in compensation for commissioned sales, and that matters. 

Right Size Your Team

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Andris Zoltner said, “Sales force downsizing is an obvious consequence for industries badly hurt by the pandemic, such as travel and transportation. But other industries are downsizing field sales forces as well. [As sales] shifts to digital and virtual channels, downsizing the field sales force is likely. [While] many sales organizations face the trauma of downsizing, there are upsizing opportunities for industries such as cloud services.” 

Change can be very disruptive to a sales team, but the pandemic created an opening as everyone from top management to junior sales people became more open to change, especially change perceived as necessary to survival.

If your industry is going to shrink permanently or if buyers are likely to continue buying virtually or online, consider reducing the size of your team. That can boost morale and motivation in several ways. If there are 10 Easter eggs hidden in the yard and 10 hunters, each of the hunters can find an egg. But if there are now only five Easter eggs, half of the hunters will not succeed. Redistributing the remaining eggs (and the associated commissions) to fewer salespeople may make sense. Redistributing remaining targets (and associated commissions) to fewer salespeople may make sense. 

On the other hand, if your industry is growing, adding to the team can prevent burnout and keep competitors from stealing customers who aren’t getting enough service from your overburdened team. Adding another plate at the table is rarely popular with salespeople who think that all commissions should be their commissions, so be sure to soften the blow with some temporary perks or cash to encourage good behavior, such as having veterans coach the newcomers.

Gamification

The thrill of the chase and competitiveness are both essential parts of the sales personality. This is doubly true of younger people who grew up playing video games. The adrenaline rush of “leveling up” is what keeps gamers performing otherwise pointless actions over and over for hours.

Sales contests are a tried and true way to get sales teams to work on an important goal. However, they tend to be binary — one person wins and everyone else loses. Those who don’t think they’re going to win may not participate, decreasing the contest’s value to the organization. 

Gamification applies the principles that make video games work to business tasks, including sales. It’s been used successfully by companies as diverse as FedEx, Nike and GE. A Salesforce survey found that 71% of companies reported sales performance gains of 11%-50% from adding gamification for their sales teams. The ability to earn a badge, peer recognition and ultimately a valuable reward can be a powerful motivator. The daily “mini-rewards” earned along the way keep contestants in the game. Just don’t make the rules overly complex and make sure everyone can win a little. 

Super Solvers

Salespeople feel energized and valuable when they’re solving problems for customers. Buyers act differently depending on what they’re buying: Things that can be bought without spending a lot of time analyzing how they’ll work for the buyer are increasingly being sold online. The remaining products and services require purposeful interaction between buyer and seller, requiring a consultative approach. If you have team members who aren’t consultative sellers, moving them in that direction can help boost their morale and performance. Have them brush up on listening to their clients instead of talking, asking open-ended questions and overcoming objections. Have a veteran who’s good at it mentor them. Make a game of it for both of them. 

Tool Up

Sales teams feel empowered when the organization gives them great tools to work with. Great sales content is one of the best. Your organization should be creating content for both internal and external consumption, things that help the sales team target, convince and close prospects and things aimed at moving prospects through the sales funnel. These can be delivered through your website or shared/emailed. Study your competitors. What kinds of content are they distributing to prospects? Do you have equivalent or better in your arsenal? Product overviews, pricing tables, case studies, customer testimonials and industry analyses can keep prospects engaged. Don’t forget video content: Almost three-quarters of consumers, 72%, prefer video to text for receiving branded marketing information, according to a Hubspot research study.

The content needs to be well organized in a library, clearly divided between internal and external communications and easy to find, review and deploy in an instant. 

The Fierce Urgency of Now

Especially when market activity slows down, it’s tempting for the team to gear down a bit: Nothing’s happening anyway, so why bust it? Great salespeople have urgency; they need to be moving and doing. And you need them to be moving and doing, too: Shake every bush for sales that might be out there you didn’t know about, take market share from competitors whose own sales teams are idling, find new pools of potential clients, refine their pitch and approach. Reward them for trying and attach rewards to actions beneficial to the organization that are unlikely to generate commissions. 

The More You Know

The best salespeople are experts on the product, its uses and the industry they work in. Trade conferences are increasingly held online, so gather that information and give your team the time to watch some presentations — in a group chat if possible. Have your product development folks and engineers attend group teleconferences where your team can ask questions they’ve gotten from clients. The more engaged the team is with the product and answering questions from prospects, the more sales they’ll make. More knowledge also gives them confidence in their pitch, in what they’re selling. Few organizations do this effectively and all it costs is a few hours of time. 

Upset Equals Reset

If your industry got hammered by the pandemic, this is a time of great opportunity. What happens when something — like a pandemic — kicks over the apple cart? There are apples all over the road, meaning old relationships may have less influence on buyers. This is the time to gain market share, if you have the product, the story and the follow through to do it. Convince your sales team to look for those loose apples. Point out where competitors are losing ground, and where they can surge. 

Become a Digital Diva

The shoe leather method of sales is on the losing side of history. The impact of the personal sales call — especially for complex, high-value, high-impact products — is undeniable. However, the amount of business being done via teleconference is exploding. Buyers are liking not having to schedule in-person meets for long pitches. Your job as a sales leader is not to try to hold back that tide, your job is to learn as much as you can about digital sales tools and help your team learn how to use them effectively. That will make them feel like they’re in control, and that confidence will inspire them to succeed despite the challenges. Bring in a trainer if possible, someone who’s an expert in using technology to sell, and retain a consultant who’s readily available to help your team members work through technical problems. 

Lead From the Front

You can’t ask your team to stay engaged and up if you don’t exhibit those traits yourself. After allowing himself to be surprised by the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh, Pharoah Ramses II personally led a counterattack, rallying what remained of his army and saving them from a complete rout. The power of personal example is one lesson we can learn from Ramses II, but there’s another, equally important one: Ramses should not have allowed himself to be surprised. Your sales team will be more motivated if they see that you have a well-thought-out plan to boost their success and are taking decisive actions. Go on sales calls with both your strongest and weakest performers. Listen to their clients and observe how your salesperson reacts. They’re more likely to listen to your coaching if you “know what we’re up against out there.”  Where is your industry headed? How are your competitors positioning themselves? What is your organization doing about changes on the horizon? As a sales manager, it’s your job to drive those issues up the chain and communicate clearly what’s being done about them to your troops. 

Even — and especially — when times are tough, good sales leaders keep their teams focused and effective. There are many resources to help you implement these suggestions. Feel the fierce urgency of now and start moving. Your troops will follow.

Working with an experienced recruiting firm like Peak Sales Recruiting is essential. Rather than hoping your job posting happens to gain attention online, we can help you gain access to more high-quality candidates, including those not actively looking for a new position.

Click here to contact Peak Sales Team RPO Search today.

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How To Onboard Your New Sales Team 50% Faster

Did you know that it takes the average enterprise sales representative six months or longer to start closing sales? During that time, the new sales rep may be working hard but their contribution isn’t showing up on the bottom line. 

The High Cost of Extended Sales Rep Onboarding

Taking months to bring a new employee up to speed in sales is costly in several ways. Consider the direct costs of sales rep onboarding. A new hire is drawing a salary (or advance on commissions) for a period of time before they start to close sales. For example, a sales rep earning a base salary of $70,000 might cost the company over $35,000 in compensation expenses if they take a full six months to get up to speed.

In addition to direct costs, there are indirect costs to onboarding. The new hire may need additional training and support from managers and other sales representatives. For companies that have minimal sales training resources, informal sales training and mentorship can be especially time-consuming.

Don’t misunderstand us… It’s probably not possible to eliminate sales rep onboarding entirely. It takes time to learn a new product, different ways of selling and company culture. But what if you could shave a month or two from your onboarding process? That improvement alone could boost sales productivity dramatically, especially if you are hiring many sales staff.

Reducing Sales Rep Onboarding Time: 4 Factors To Optimize

The first step in improving your sales onboarding process is to analyze it and determine the root causes of slow onboarding. As a starting point, use the following 4-factor model.

  1. Streamline Administrative Support

The reality is that new employees generally need more support in order to be successful. However, many of their support needs are predictable. For example, every new hire is going to need guidance in learning how to book time off, set up their benefits, and more. 

If you are planning to hire more than two sales representatives in the next 12 months, it is worth taking the time to optimize your support. At the very least, create a checklist of steps that each new hire should complete in their first 30 days. Ideally, a new hire’s basic technology setup – laptop, phone and accounts on key platforms – should be ready to go on their first day.

  1. Emphasize Necessary Product Knowledge

You can’t sell a product without understanding how it works. In the first few weeks at the company, each new sales rep should have scheduled training to understand your key products. If possible, give them the opportunity to meet customers and see how they use your products. 

There is a significant opportunity to save onboarding time on product knowledge by focusing on the essentials. For example, make a list of the 50 most common customer questions that come up in presentations or demos. The list of the most common questions and objections can become a living document for the entire sales team.

  1. Focus Your Sales Training

The time required for sales process onboarding varies considerably depending on experience level. Brand new sales development representatives (SDRs) and other new sales reps will likely require substantial sales training. In comparison, bringing in more experienced sales professionals can significantly cut sales training costs.

By the way, there’s no need to rely exclusively on internally produced sales training materials. Sales training courses on LinkedIn Learning or Sales Gravy can save sales managers hours of time in creating presentations. The only caveat is that these online training course libraries tend to be vast – so create a short list of “must complete” courses during onboarding.

  1. Identify Sales Quick Wins During Onboarding

Most salespeople are highly motivated to achieve goals. Therefore, asking a sales person to spend weeks or months on sales training, administrative tasks and other preparation can be demoralizing. To mitigate this onboarding problem, create opportunities for new sales hires to win.

Closing a new sale, especially in enterprise sales, is unlikely to happen right away. However, there are other wins to be had when you focus on the leading indicators of the sales process. For example, consider a sales process that emphasizes providing product demos. A leading indicator for success in this context would be booking appointments with prospects. Therefore, you may want to set an easily achievable activity goal (e.g. contact 10 prospects for demos in your first 30 days) to give prospects a chance to win.

Optimizing each of these four factors will incrementally speed up your sales rep onboarding program. Once you have this foundation in place, there’s one more crucial strategy to speed up sales rep onboarding.

The Surprising Way Recruiting Improves Sales Onboarding

Assuming that sales rep onboarding starts on the first day of work misses a major opportunity. In reality, the hiring process has the potential to speed up onboarding in a few ways.

More companies are emphasizing the value of exercises, tests and applied work during the interview process. For instance, you might ask a SDR to develop a plan to pursue a single high potential customer. In other cases, the exercise might ask prospects to draft outreach emails and other sales collateral. Success in these practical exercises is valuable because it indicates that the candidate has the drive to compete despite the uncertainty of the hiring process.

Focused recruiting can also cut down sales rep onboarding time by focusing on passive candidates. When you recruit a sales rep with a strong track record of exceeding their quota, their personal drive and skills will help them to speed through onboarding.

There’s just one problem… The best salespeople are usually focused on serving their customers and making the most of their current role. Relatively few of these sales stars are actively looking for new sales positions. 

The solution? Bring in an outside resource – Peak Sales Recruiting – that has the expertise to consistently identify, contact and appeal to passive sales candidates. 

Click here to contact Peak Sales Recruiting today.

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How To Grow And Develop Gen Z Salespeople

Generation Z salespeople are the future of the sales profession. Recruiting and developing this generation of talent requires new approaches. Peak Sales Recruiting has a track record of finding sales managers and executives for clients in technology, industrial sales, and other sectors. 

Four Trends That Are Shaping Gen Z

The first step to engaging Generation Z is understanding the trends shaping this demographic. Born between 1997 to 2012, this generation is even more digitally native than the Millennial generation that came before them. 

1. Internet Use

Heavy Internet usage is a common habit for Gen Z. According to eMarketer, Internet penetration for Gen Z is forecast to reach 99.1% by 2024. In comparison, Millennials are lagging slightly at 97%. 

2. Diversity

Beyond Internet usage, diversity is a crucial factor to keep in mind for Generation Z. Gen Z might be the most pro-diversity generation ever. The Pew Research Center found that 62% of Gen Z agree that increasing racial/ethnic diversity is good for diversity. In addition, about one-third of Gen Z people know somebody who uses a gender-neutral pronoun. 

3. Higher Debt

Financially, Gen Z grew up during a period of low-interest rates, which may have contributed to the generation’s high debt load. Gen Z graduates tend to have a student loan debt of over $17,000 and often use “buy now pay later” lending services to make purchases. These debt figures will likely grow as more of the generation enters post-secondary education.

4. Impacted By The COVID-19 Pandemic

Many generations have a defining event or crisis that influences how they view the world. The financial crisis profoundly shaped the Millennial generation, and the Great Recession of 2007-2009 impacted careers, earnings, and outlook. For Gen Z, that defining event might be the COVID-19 pandemic. It led to unprecedented restrictions on the economy, travel, social life and much more.

Strategies To Attract and Grow Gen Z Employees

Recruiting and retaining Generation Z sales talent is challenging. Axios estimates that 25% of Gen Z employees will change jobs in the next six months. Gen Z is changing jobs faster than older generations. To stand out and recruit talent, keep the following principles in mind.

1. Make your commitment to flexible and remote work clear

The pandemic brought large-scale remote work to millions of people. For Gen Z, that remote work revolution arrived just as many were starting their careers. As a result, research has found that Gen Z employees are 77% more likely to pay attention to job postings with flexibility. Therefore, if you can offer remote or hybrid work, state that fact front and center in your sales job postings.

Offering flexibility to new salespeople can take a few forms. Start by improving new employee onboarding programs for an era of flexible work. Focus on results and goals rather than rigidly working a 9-5 schedule. For example, help a newly recruited sales development representative set weekly goals for sales activity (e.g., “Make X prospecting calls” or “Set 5 qualified meetings”). A weekly goal means the employee has the flexibility to apply themselves to meet their goals while retaining flexibility. 

2. Refocus on diversity and inclusion initiatives 

As mentioned above, diversity is an essential concern for Gen Z employees. Self-assess your progress on diversity matters by considering the following questions:

  • Sales guest speakers. Many sales organizations have annual kickoffs and other events to inspire their teams to achieve challenging goals. Take a closer look at whether your organization’s diversity goals are reflected in who is invited to speak. 
  • There’s nothing like seeing somebody as you succeed. Find ways to encourage high-performing, diverse sales employees to apply for promotions and awards. will also help to retain your top performers more actively.
  • Review your advertising and marketing materials. Your company’s marketing materials, including social media content, should reflect a wide range of people. If your company has fallen behind others on this front, acknowledge the gap and encourage your marketing colleagues to improve.

Finally, invite your new sales employees to share their ideas and passion for diversity. Your new Gen Z may surprise you with new ideas to connect with a more diverse customer base.

3. Demonstrate your company’s values  

77% of Generation Z employees say it is vital to work for an organization whose values align with their own, according to Deloitte. That expectation takes several forms, including ethical supply chain practices. For example, several jurisdictions, including California and the UK, have adopted legislation to increase supply chain transparency and eliminate modern slavery in industries like agriculture and textiles.

Sales leaders have an opportunity to help newer Gen Z employees understand how the company lives its values. For example, show your new sales staff how you select suppliers based on multiple criteria such as ethics, cost, and value. 

4. Enhance compensation for the 2020s

In 2022, inflation reached record highs, last seen in the early 1980s. Reviewing and improving entry-level sales compensation may be needed to attract Gen Z sales talent. 

In addition to competitive pay, improving health benefits to better support mental health is worthwhile. According to the American Psychological Association, Gen Z is more likely than other generations to report their mental health as fair or poor. Supporting this need can be as simple as understanding the need for periodic mental health days to manage stress. Ideally, this support should include offering health coverage for mental health services for more significant needs.  

The Right Sales Leaders Lay The Foundation of Gen Z Success

Making your company attractive to Gen Z salespeople is only half the equation. It is equally important to find employees capable of thriving in the sales profession. Yet, recruiting new sales professionals is challenging because these employees typically lack sales experience.

The solution is to develop your sales talent pipeline with Peak Sales Recruiting. That starts with enhancing your sales leadership positions. That’s why it is necessary to ensure your sales leaders have the skills to recruit and grow your next generation of sales talent.

How To Grow Accounts After The Customer Signs On The Dotted Line

Salespeople usually close on winning new customers. This guide will help your salespeople look at your current customers differently.

The Risks of Short-Term “Hunter” Thinking In Sales 

By tradition, most if not all salespeople see themselves as hunters. This mentality is often captured in the phrase “eat what you kill.” In some environments, like 100% commission-based roles, no new sales mean no income for the salesperson. Indeed, landing new customers is crucially important. Without a steady stream of new customers joining the organization, your company’s growth will stall and eventually stop.

The dark side of this focus on new customers means that existing customers sometimes become a secondary priority for salespeople. As a result, there are fewer opportunities to lift customer satisfaction, earn referrals and grow the bottom line with upselling. It’s not just missed opportunities that sales organizations need to be concerned about.

Put yourself in the shoes of a salesperson whose career progression and income are measured mainly on new sales. Given a choice between prospecting for a new opportunity and checking in on the customer you closed last quarter, prospecting will win every time. Over time, it’s no surprise that some salespeople focus on short-term wins rather than strategies that maximize long-term customer satisfaction.

Growing Accounts After Customers Sign On The Dotted Line

Salespeople can grow revenue by making time for their customers. First, your organization’s sales compensation plan focuses on net new sales. Second, salespeople spend the majority of their time working on new deals. These strategies are designed to be executed 2-4 hours per week.

Strategy 1. Create A Post-Purchase Sales Communication Plan

Nearly all professional salespeople have digital calendars and customer relationship management (CRM) tools at their fingertips. Use these tools to support your post-purchase sales communication. 

Suppose your typical customer relationship lasts for twenty-four months at an enterprise software company. In that case, use the following schedule to stay in touch with your buyer.

  • 15 Days After Purchase: Check in to confirm the customer has received the product and see if they have any questions.
  • 30 Days After Purchase: Get in touch with the customer to invite them to a free customer webinar where they can get answers to questions.
  • 90 Days After Purchase: Ask the customer to share feedback about the product (i.e., what features do you like the most and what do you wish we had?)
  • 6 Months After Purchase: Get in touch with the customer and ask them to write an honest, positive review of your company on G2.com or Capterra
  • 12 Months After Purchase: Send the customer a card or gift to recognize their first customer anniversary.
  • 15 Months After Purchase: Get in touch with the customer to offer a renewal promotion (i.e., get 15% off your annual plan if you renew for 12 months).

The key to successfully executing this strategy is consistency and leveraging reminders. Therefore, set aside 20 minutes after closing a new sale to add these reminders to your preferred tool.

Strategy 2. Request Introductions

People tend to know people like themselves. Accountants know other accountants, marketers know advertising people, and so forth. You can use this rule of thumb to your advantage by thoughtfully asking for referrals.

The way you execute this strategy depends on your company’s business model. In B2B sales, look for departments regularly interacting with your current customer. 

For instance, let’s say you have sold a sales software tool to a Fortune 500 business based in California. That business likely has multiple sales units across the country and internationally. In this case, you might phrase your request like this “Do you know Jane Smith, sales director of  the Northeast Sales division? If so, can I ask you to send a short introduction email on my behalf – I have a draft message you can copy and paste.”

With business-to-consumer sales, your objective is to seek introductions to people with similar needs. For example, a real estate salesperson might focus on serving urban professionals between the ages of 30 to 40. Your past customer probably has a few friends who might be looking for a home. 

Strategy 3. Reach Out With Value

The first two strategies were aimed at producing value for the salesperson. Only contacting your customer with requests may not be wise. You don’t want customers to see you as someone who makes demands! This strategy comes into play.

With this strategy, your goal is to simply remind the customer of your existence and that you care about them. The way you implement this strategy will depend on your natural strengths. Some people love remembering occasions like birthdays by sending gifts. Others enjoy sharing links to informative articles or books.

The marketing assets produced by your company may be helpful here. However, there is a caveat – personalization is king! If your company has produced a 20-page ebook and you think it would be relevant to Edward, do the work for your customer in your outreach message. For example: point out that chapter 2 (pages 7-10) have tips on automating compliance – a concern that Edward mentioned in your last call.

Regarding frequency, it is best to use this strategy every 2-3 months with your top customers. If that feels overwhelming, identify your ten most valuable customers and implement this strategy for them.

Strategy 4. Follow Up On Customer Complaints and Requests

The fourth strategy is reactive, so we are covering it last. We live in an imperfect world: it’s likely that your customers are going to want something new or have a problem to solve. Today, a customer might contact you with concerns about a delayed shipment. Next week, a customer might contact you to ask for something new (e.g., we’re opening an office in Mexico – does your software come in Spanish?)

When problems arise, you may not have the skills or time to solve the problem for the customer personally. That said, nobody likes to feel shifted from department to department to get a problem solved. The solution is simple – take note of the customer’s problem and refer it to the appropriate department. 

The next step is where you have the opportunity to shine as a salesperson. Keep following up internally and with the customer to verify that the problem has been solved. Acting as an advocate for your customer internally is not only the right thing to do, but it makes them more likely to take your call in the future.

No Capacity For Sales Followup?

The above strategies are best seen as ways to deepen customer relationships and increase customer lifetime value. Focusing your efforts on these strategies is often worthwhile, but they have drawbacks. Growing existing customer relationships is a long-term play – it could take months or even years to pay off. 

If your company needs to produce results faster, bringing new sales talent to the organization is your best bet. Contact Peak Sales Recruiting today to grow your sales team. Whether you need account executives, sales development representatives, or other sales talent, we can help.

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Kyle Fletcher

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