At Outbound Funnel we engage with variety of organizations that work with our team to create, strategize, and execute go-to-market (GTM) goals around their sales tech stack.
Workign the sales operations and revenue leaders, front line sales teams nevertheless are our ultimate end-users and customers.
A sales team is the lifeblood of a company.They are the ones ultimately tasked with bringing in revenue and securing customer relationships that drive growth. And like any muscle, a sales team needs to be developed, trained and strengthened to perform at its best.
In this week's update we'll explore the strategies and tactics for building your sales team, and some key proficiency muscle to ensure they are equipped to excel in your team and in their roles as we navigate this new sales landscape.
Understanding the Sales Landscape
Before diving into strategies, it's crucial to understand the modern sales landscape. With the rise of digital technologies and changing customer expectations, the traditional sales approach has evolved. Today's buyers are more informed.
92% of the research happens online, and over 80% of the decision is made before before engaging with a sales team.
Remote work continue to carry an impact on how we buy and sell with 38% of sellers say that they have closed deals over $500,000 without ever meeting the buyer face-to-face. (LinkedIn)
This shift requires sales teams to adapt their strategies to building relationships and providing value rather than pushing products or services. Communities, partnerships, and co-sell/marketing efforts also increasingly now impact both the time to reach the customers and the time to develop trust and use case for potential opportunities to actualize.
Every market will carry its own challenges the sales team will need to adapt
Every sales leader and outperforming sales teams will also find that following some of the practices we will highlight below can also turn these events into opportunities to get ahead of the competition
1. Hire Right
Building a proficient sales team starts with hiring the right people.
Duh. End Point.
Ok obviously it takes more then just placing a few folks in the seats and crossing your fingers that they just happen to be the right personality at the right place, right time, with the right tools, and right messaging to bring customer through the doors within weeks after their Day 1
Hiring top sales talent requires careful consideration of various factors to ensure the right fit for your company's success. First and foremost, candidates should have a proven track record of meeting and exceeding sales targets, along with the ability to build lasting client relationships. Look for individuals who are skilled in sales techniques such as consultative selling and adept at handling objections. This is critical today more so then the knowledge or prior product sales experience as that can be transferable skills.
Cultural fit is equally crucial. Bit more about that in the next section
Seek candidates who align with your company's values and can seamlessly integrate into your team dynamics. A strong cultural fit fosters collaboration and ensures long-term cohesion within the sales team. Additionally, assess candidates' drive and motivation. Sales is a competitive field, and successful candidates should exhibit ambition, resilience in the face of challenges, and a history of overcoming obstacles.
Lastly look for candidates who can articulate ideas clearly, actively listen to client needs, and adapt their communication style to various audiences. Their ability to solve problems creatively and adapt to evolving sales environments is likely the most important key. A positive attitude towards rejection, willing to be of resource no matter of outcome, and a genuine customer focus are indicators of candidates who will excel in understanding and meeting customer needs while being a great evangelist for your company.
2. Foster a Culture of Collaboration :
Win Together. Lose Together. Never Alone.
Sales is not a one-person job.
Much can be said about building a strong sales team but we will focus on one specific dynamic which we've seen over and over again outpace any other.
No sales opportunity should be worked on in silo and the teams that practice collaborative building, selling, execution, handoff practice, and debriefing across all teams that may be attached to the deal
When deals are won by a "lone-wolf' representative, the deal may actually be smaller then it could have been when working with the team members or leadership.
That also means forecasting likely was inaccurate, and knowledge about the process or key customer information may get lost post portem.
Make sure to welcome collaborative work regardless of the outcome.
Encourage collaboration among your team members, sharing success stories, tips, and strategies.
This boosts morale and allows for the transfer of knowledge and skills across your sales team and through other organizations. Consider implementing regular team meetings or workshops where team members can share their experiences and learn from each other.
3. Provide the Right Tools and Enablement
In today's digital age, sales teams have access to a ton of tools and technologies to streamline their processes. Whether it's a CRM system for managing accounts, sales engagement platform to drive communication and manage pipelines, providing the right tools can significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Sometimes however options and having too many tools at your disposal is not a good thing.
In the last few quarters we've seen a significant push from both IT and Business teams to consolidate some of the tools they brought on.
Some for the sake of cost savings. Some because of restructures and user seat needs.
When an organization calculated ability to reduce the need for a sales professional to log into 10 different applications and looked up to vendors who were able to provide key day-to-day capabilities under one roof.
Based on the latest research, 45% of sales professionals are overwhelmed by the amount of tools in their tech stack. (HubSpot)
Making sure they spend more time in front of the customers and not pointing at their tech stack as an excuse (or valid blocker) to more efficient day to day workday is critical.
Once you have the right team in place, invest in their training and development. Sales techniques and best practices are constantly evolving, so ongoing training is essential.
Provide resources such as workshops, seminars, and online courses to keep your team updated on the latest trends and strategies.
4. Pre<>Post Sale Customer Success
Sales is a dynamic field, and there's always something new to learn. Encourage your team to seek out learning opportunities, whether it's attending industry conferences, reading books, or participating in online forums. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, you equip your team with the knowledge and skills to adapt to changes and stay ahead of the competition.
A survey by Gartner, Inc. last year found that 60% of buyers involved renewal or expansion of existing tech tool agreements have questioned their final decision and regret nearly every purchase they make.
While the number is high and can be argued in the last few years organizational changes also impacted new decision makers, budget owners, and ultimately users - one dynamic that can be controlled is making sure that sales teams work and share insight with their post-sales counterparts throughout the process
Sales Engagement applications from leaders like Outreach Gong or Salesloft have grown in its capability to extend their capability from core communication applications to being able to manage sales cycle execution and provide org-wide level visibility on communication with the customer success, account management, solution consulting, and other cross-functional teams.
Being able to be along with the customer throughout their pre/post sale journey will certainly open opportunities to expand your offerings sooner, and reduce the friction and any surprises when the time comes to renew
5. Pre<>Post Sale Customer Success
Last but not least, to measure your team's proficiency, it's essential to set clear goals and metrics.
Setting clear goals and metrics is a foundational step in building a proficient sales team. These goals serve as guideposts, providing direction and focus for the team's efforts. Revenue targets, the number of new leads generated, conversion rates, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) are crucial metrics to track. Revenue targets outline the financial objectives the team should aim for within a specific timeframe. This gives the team a clear understanding of the sales expectations and the company's overall revenue goals.
Incorporating these goals and metrics into regular team meetings and performance reviews keeps everyone aligned and accountable. It provides a framework for discussions on what's working well and where adjustments are needed. By setting clear goals and metrics, regularly tracking progress, providing feedback, and using both successes and failures as learning opportunities, a sales team can continuously improve and work towards achieving greater proficiency and success in their roles.
Taking Action
Building a proficient sales team requires a combination of hiring the right people, providing ongoing training and development, defining clear processes, fostering collaboration, equipping with the right tools, setting measurable goals, and encouraging continuous learning. By focusing on these areas, you can strengthen your sales team's proficiency muscle, empowering them to drive success and growth for your business.
Remember, proficiency is not achieved overnight. It's a journey of continuous improvement and adaptation to the ever-changing landscape of sales. By investing in your sales team's development, you invest in the future of your team, business and customer success.
