5 Things Your Inside Team Can Do To Adapt To The Sales "Ebb & Flow"
The last thing we all want is a sales rep that is going to sit back and expect things to get better by doing things the same exact way. When push comes to shove, the sales world is a grind. It is unforgiving. You’re only as good as what you put up last quarter, last month or even last week. If you don’t adapt chances are you‘ll consistently fail to hit your objectives.
The unforgiving sales world reminds me a bit of the world of football. My New England Patriots, a team with little expectation at the beginning of the year, proceeded to go 14-2 earning them a #1 seed in the playoffs. Expectations were running high. Unfortunately they went on to lose in the first round. (To the damn Jets of all teams.) Of course the next day on sports talk radio we end up with an absurd amount of people complaining that the Pats don't have what it takes and Brady and Belichick will never get back to another super bowl. How quickly we forget. (At the beginning of the season, the same people would have been happy to see this team just make the playoffs.)
Next season, just like any good sales rep would, Brady and Belichick will adjust and most likely get the Pats back into the same position they were in this year.
I hate to say it, just like football, there is a little luck required in sales as well. -But that doesn't mean anything if you don't have the determination, and willingness to adapt to what the situation calls for.
I'm not suggesting you completely recreate yourself if you’re having a tough month, but at the very least consider making some small tweaks to your approach. It's that small amount of tinkering that could be all that we need to see the desired result....man I'm starting to sound like a fortune cookie here. Point is- DON'T SIT BACK.
Here are 5 examples of what I see my best reps doing to continually sharpen their ability to adapt to the sales ebb & flow:
1- Learning new technology- It could be something as simple as getting an auto dialer or learning how to mass email a list of prospects. This could have a significant impact on your results.
2- Reading up sales tips on-line- They need a continual thirst for knowledge. As much as they can rely on you for your expertise or the company training, encourage them to farm for ideas on their own.
3- Provide a platform for information sharing amongst colleagues- Chatter on Salesforce.com is a great tool for everyone to share collective ideas on ways of tweaking/improving current procedures.
4- Helping to train others- This could be described as a real time information share. You can use the training to provide your own suggestions but also pull out the things they are doing that you feel could be useful to use.
5- Get them to blog about their experiences- Getting your people to document best practices will help them to continually think of what they could do better. It also provides them the necessary recognition when they’ve come up with something that has a unique and positive impact within the organization.