What does it take for sales projects to deliver quick results? As a coach and manager of sales optimization projects, I am used to answering this question. Use my experience for your optimization.
THE VISION
The shortcut to success starts with a clear vision: Imagine a motivated sales team. A team that focuses on the sales strategy and defines the necessary implementation measures. Imagine salespeople who are prepared to measure their actions and constantly develop them further. What is only slowly being incorporated into sales management is part of everyday life in team sports. Coaches let the team participate in the strategy development and write the script with your team! Training sequences that allow players to recognize for themselves what works (context-oriented learning) but also work on automatisms and endurance lead to top performances.
THE REALITY
There are still many lone fighters working against each other. They want to master the future with improvisation, a good gut feeling and heroic stories – which is becoming increasingly rare. In many cases, the marketing and sales strategies are brilliant, but they are all too often ignored. As a result, companies often have no choice but to buy sales with expensive discounts.
THE SOLUTION
Quite simply, a sales optimization project that focuses on implementation and involves all sales staff guarantees success. I very often take inspiration from IT implementation methods and adapt them to the requirements and circumstances of sales.
THE BENEFIT
The advantages are obvious: tried-and-tested methods entail a much lower implementation risk, and they also utilize the skills of all team members. This is a game changer for sales departments. Sales effectiveness increases and leads to a progressive improvement in performance.
THE GAMECHANGER
My experience shows that gradually growing performance projects – in which managers and internal opinion leaders are on board – have the best chances of success.
AND THESE ARE THE FOUR MOST IMPORTANT POINTS
It is worth checking whether it is possible to improve performance by consistently strengthening what works. Experience has shown that this approach is much more fun for everyone involved, costs less and generates quick wins more quickly.
The analysis of best practice requires an intensive examination of the actions and the necessary talents of the employees. This analysis alone and the associated individual discussions send a positive signal and build trust for the subsequent optimization project.
Once understood and internalized, implementation systems offer the great advantage that they lead more reliably to a positive result with automatisms. An athlete doesn’t have to think about how he trains and whether he feels like it – he has a training system and just does it. “Losers take on something, winners take on a system.” Covey’s implementation system has proved particularly successful in my projects2)
Very often I observe that well-designed sales optimization projects fail simply because the planned regular sales activities do not take place (e.g. following up on leads). However, if the sales teams recognize clear results from the sales actions they have chosen themselves after a short time (insight comes from seeing), the projects start to fly. The metaphor of a jumbo jet taking off, which simply flies in the air because it was built to do so, describes a project launch pretty accurately.
When I implement sales optimization projects, I often suggest “routes” that have already been taken and for which I have positive experiences. This could be sales excellence, in the context of which the sales manager sees himself as a sales leader and a specialist among specialists. As the person responsible for ensuring that his salespeople continue to develop, successes are scaled and obstacles are removed. Such an understanding of leadership generates quick wins because all talents and energies are focused on one goal.
CONCLUSION
Successful sales optimization projects do not require a degree in rocket science, but the talents of all salespeople and proven implementation and project methods.
