or How to Gain and Sustain a Competitive Advantage for Your Sales Team Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations © by David R. Barnes Jr M.Ed CPC VP Sales, Sales Operations Cell:

“What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There” Marshal Goldsmith

What will you take away from this presentation? Simply This…… A high level yet specific set of strategies that will ensure you gain and sustain a competitive advantage over other sales teams you compete against!

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© l Selling System - Sales skills model used to train and upgrade sales skills of a sales team on an ongoing basis. l Sales Disciplines - Desired repetitive behaviors identified by the sales management team of an organization that will contribute to exceeding sales objectives if executed (sometimes known as “best practices”) continuously. l Sales Competencies – Actual behaviors, tasks, and activities, that need to be executed in a sales role to achieve the roles mission. l Sales Process - Every activity that takes place in a sales organization from the time a market to sell to is identified to the time a product or program is implemented successfully within a clients or prospects organization. l Sales Organization - How well the sales organization’s structure is aligned to achieve it’s mission while consistently exceeding revenue and profit objectives. Every high performing sales organization identifies and continually improves their effectiveness in the areas listed below because they are so closely linked to continuous improvement and consistently exceeding revenue and profit goals.

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© l Sales Cycle - Market driven phenomenon of how long it takes to complete a sale. l Selling Technology – Your sales organization optimally utilizes the “best fit” technology for them to efficiently and effectively sustain superior performance. l Sales Compensation - A clear and fair salary, bonus, commission, and recognition plan the drives the appropriate selling behaviors, sustains them, and minimizes internal and external win fall risks. l Sales Culture - A combination of all of the above categories along with all of the unwritten values, mores, and processes that take place ad hoc that drive the behaviors of that sales organization. Every high performing sales organization identifies and continually improves their effectiveness in the areas listed below because they are so closely linked to continuous improvement and consistently exceeding revenue and profit goals.

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – A sales process that is facilitated by a sales skills program that enhances the probability of closing deals quicker for greater revenue acquisition.  Must be developed and implemented with input from market and internal stakeholders  The sales process must be standardized across the enterprise so that the skills program can overlaid on top of it effectively (as well as the CRM program)  The finalized sales process should be documented to be evaluated and enhanced regularly  The effective use of the selling system need to be evaluated, tracked, and coach by sales leaders to improved usage effectiveness Selling System

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – A group of best practices activities, tasks, and behaviors that if done consistently contribute to gaining a competitive advantage and trusted advisor status with customers and clients.  Regularly implement surveys, activity logs, and holistic focus (sales, marketing, operations, finance, and top customer counterparts) to discuss and review processes and interface best practices  Document identified best practices and incorporate them the ongoing behaviors of the sales team  Measure and track the ROTI and ROI of the changes Sales Disciplines

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Actual behaviors, tasks, and activities, that need to be executed in a sales role to achieve the roles mission.  Identify and document competency categories the will actual drive sales (e.g. Sales Skills, Relationship Building, Sales Process Execution, etc.)  Identify and document actual behaviors that drive and contribute to effectively executing the sales process and contribute reducing sales cycle time  Identify and document the internal relationships each role interfaces with and the goal of that interface to move the internal and external sales process along effectively  Identify and document the characteristics of the person must have to be effective in the role Sales Competencies

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Actual behaviors, tasks, and activities, that need to be executed in a sales role to achieve the roles mission.  Identify and document competency categories the will actual drive sales (e.g. Sales Skills, Relationship Building, Sales Process Execution, etc.)  Identify and document actual behaviors that drive and contribute to effectively executing the sales process and contribute reducing sales cycle time  Identify and document the internal relationships each role interfaces with and the goal of that interface to move the internal and external sales process along effectively  Identify and document the characteristics of the person must have to be effective in the role Sales Competencies

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Actual behaviors, tasks, and activities, that need to be executed in a sales role to achieve the roles mission.  Identify and document competency categories the will actual drive sales (e.g. Sales Skills, Relationship Building, Sales Process Execution, etc.)  Identify and document actual behaviors that drive and contribute to effectively executing the sales process and contribute reducing sales cycle time  Identify and document the internal relationships each role interfaces with and the goal of that interface to move the internal and external sales process along effectively  Identify and document the characteristics of the person must have to be effective in the role Sales Competencies

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Every activity that takes place in a sales organization from the time a market to sell to is identified to the time a product or program is implemented successfully within a clients or prospects organization.  Document (flow chart ) the various sales processes by division, region, district, or person (depending on the size of your sales team)  Test with customers  Access each steps contribution to the sales process, supporting administrative tasks and prune as necessary to improve effectiveness and reduce cost  Conduct a staged implementation of process changes/upgrades, measure progress, and assimilation status Sales Process

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – How well the sales organization’s structure is aligned to achieve it’s mission while consistently exceeding revenue and profit objectives.  Evaluate the market you are selling in; the 20% of account doing 80% of your business, competitors strategic accounts, competitor sales structures in relation to ease of doing business capabilities with your sales team  Review and assess; lead generation process, sales process, sales cycle, post sale implementation process, account management process  Identify areas of opportunity and create tiered change strategy (cost, impact, implementation complexity, and ROI) to realign you sales organization to facilitate optimal effectiveness Sales Organization

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Market driven phenomenon of how long it takes to complete a sale.  Investigate and document the factors that impact the length of your sales cycle  Assess them and divide the into two categories; controllable and independently random  Develop and implement a strategy to positively manage the controllable factors and a tracking mechanism to know when the independently random factors are in plan so you can forecast their impact appropriately on revenue acquisition  Track sales cycles regularly to predict emerging challenges and opportunities Sales Cycle

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – Your sales organization optimally utilizes the “best fit” technology for them to efficiently and effectively sustain superior performance.  Regularly assess the effectiveness of the existing technology in regards to its mission of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales team (internally and in relation to ease of doing business in the market  Modify and upgrade as necessary in a 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 fashion to inform end users and stakeholders that the technological solution will continually meet their and the markets needs  Consistently investigate emerging technological solutions the will increase productivity, reduce costs, or contribute improving branding  Become a “serial test case” for new technological solutions Selling Technology

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – A clear and fair salary, bonus, commission, and recognition plan the drives the appropriate selling behaviors, sustains them, and minimizes internal and external win fall risks.  Establish a clear, focused, and holistic purpose statement for what your sales compensation plan should accomplish once implemented  Identify the sales; behaviors, drivers of those behaviors, repetition of behaviors, key performance indicators, run rates results over time, and other key performance indicators the must be addressed in the compensation plan  Don’t just focus on salary, bonus, or commission, and the percentage of each also include recognition, benefit, and personal investment initiatives  Benchmark plan continuously to ensure the mission is being achieved and it’s a competitive advantage for retaining top talent Sales Compensation

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – A combination of all of the above categories along with all of the unwritten values, mores, and processes that take place ad hoc that drive the behaviors of that sales organization.  Regularly hold focus groups that include sales team members, other internal departments, the executive team, and key customers to understand the what the sales team is doing, why, and what are the unspoken and unwritten drivers of behaviors both positive and negative  Identify strategies to enhance and spread positive culture driven behaviors and results and minimize negative behaviors that diminish results  Monitor and track results Sales Culture

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Definition – A combination of all of the above categories along with all of the unwritten values, mores, and processes that take place ad hoc that drive the behaviors of that sales organization.  Regularly hold focus groups that include sales team members, other internal departments, the executive team, and key customers to understand the what the sales team is doing, why, and what are the unspoken and unwritten drivers of behaviors both positive and negative  Identify strategies to enhance and spread positive culture driven behaviors and results and minimize negative behaviors that diminish results  Monitor and track results Sales Culture

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© Questions? Comments? Insights?

Key’s to Consistently High Performing Sales Organizations© “BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND” INVOLVE AS MANY INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT IS PRACTICAL SEEK OUT EVIDENCE AND IMPACT ISSUES DATA! DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! TEST OR PILOT INITIAL SOLUTION CONTINUALLY TRACK AND MONITOR RESULTS VS. MISSION Closing Thoughts