With a gap in the understanding of what makes successful sales forces tick, researchers have begun to focus on quantifying the factors that go into turning a motivated sales team into a task force capable of making an effective impact in their market. By outlining a few fundamental processes that will have an impact on the efficacy of sales teams, we hope to identify the controllable forces field marketing managers can utilize to cultivate a successful sales strategy.
As it is difficult for any new business to hit the ground running, having success in sales is dependent on continual improvement. Conducting honest program evaluations, targeting specific strategy areas to augment, developing specific improvement programs, and tracking progress in following through with these programs will create a cycle that, if followed, will lead to a constantly improving sales team capable of finding success in today's dynamic market.
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In order to launch a campaign focused on improvement, it is crucial for sales managers to have a firm grasp of their starting point. In order to understand how a sales team can develop, sales managers should take inventory of their team's strengths and weaknesses in a frank self-evaluation. This evaluation should identify conditions under which sales reps perform well, as well as strategies that are inefficient or poorly carried out. The most effective evaluations will be extremely specific and frank, allowing sales managers to detect areas that are wasteful or have a potential for growth.
Sales managers then closely analyze the findings of their evaluation, pinpointing areas for improvement that would most benefit the efficiency of their sales force, and, in turn, their company. Using data from their evaluations, managers can come up with a list of specific areas in which to prioritize development. Finding solutions to these issue areas can be challenging, but looking at the processes that influence the day-to-day productivity of sales forces can serve as a window to a solution.
Developing the programming that will lead to improved sales force efficiency can come from prioritizing one of five focus areas.
Effective improvement programs include a plan to track progress. This data will be used in the following round of evaluation so that a more specific and effective solution can be reached. As markets change, so does the efficiency of a sales force. Through a repeated cycle of evaluation, identification, programming, and progress tracking, sales managers will develop a culture of field reps capable of constant improvement, a necessary tool in successful field management.
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