Transform Your Sales Organization to Master the Complex Sale
Over the past two decades, the landscape of sales has undergone a significant transformation, driven by shifts in customer knowledge and expectations. The accessibility of information allows customers to thoroughly research companies, products, and market presence before they ever engage with a sales representative. Along with this, there has been a notable shift in customer behavior, with a heightened emphasis on scrutinizing the return on investment rather than merely considering product features and benefits.
The buying process has become more complex, with an increase in decision-makers and layers of approval processes required for making significant changes. Adapting to these changes, sales organizations have had to transition from a transactional selling approach centered around products to a more intricate strategy aimed at assisting customers in solving problems.
However, navigating this shift from a transactional to a complex selling environment presents its challenges. While modern sales training incorporates various methodologies built on key descriptors such as “strategic,” “consultative,” “trusted advisor,” etc., without context in each phase of the sales journey it is very easy to revert to old habits with more tactical approaches. This critical juncture is where obstacles emerge, deals are delayed, and opportunities slip away.
Sales, being an inherently dynamic field, is not an exact science. The key to success lies in concentrating on the right strategic areas that offer the optimal chance for success with sustainable results. By doing so, sales professionals can better navigate the complexities of the modern sales landscape and enhance their effectiveness in meeting evolving customer needs.
Opportunity Sales Process Strategies
In a complex selling environment, a well-defined sales process is a critical element for the success of any sales organization. The process serves as a comprehensive roadmap, strategically crafted to propel opportunities forward and enhance the likelihood of success. A standardized sales process adds structure and accountability to sales activities ultimately leading to higher win rates and shorter sales cycles.
In the evolving landscape of customer interactions, sales processes must also evolve in sophistication to keep pace with changing dynamics. Transitioning to a more complex selling approach necessitates an effective process that:
Prioritizes the buying processes over the selling process: In a complex selling environment, misaligning between the seller and buyer process can lead to delayed deals and lost opportunities.
Is tailored to the organization’s unique selling environment: The most effective sales processes are built on observable best practices with demonstrated success.
Encompasses clear, repeatable steps with integrated critical success factors to help measure results.
Offers tangible value to the sales organization: A major hurdle in the adoption of a sales process getting the sales organization to see the value in how it aids in advancing opportunities. Articulating the “why” behind the process helps cultivate compliance.
Customer Engagement Standards
In his book Level Five Selling, John Hoskins found that on average, 60% of all sales calls are “scrap and waste”; meaning, they don’t contribute to advancing customer’s buying process. Even highly skilled sales professionals often fall short of consistently achieving quality sales calls. The advent of CRM (customer relationship management) platforms has simplified the management and tracking of sales calls, however, in many cases, these platforms have inadvertently shifted the focus towards quantity metrics rather than quality.
In essence, there is a tendency to prioritize the number of sales calls made rather than ensuring each call is of high quality. While making a sufficient number of calls is crucial for success, it is equally important to strategically concentrate on making sales calls productive and conducive to moving opportunities forward.
Customer engagement is a fundamental aspect of sales. Organizations that establish standards for sales calls and redirect their emphasis from quantity to quality metrics see increased win rates, faster deal progression, and enhanced pipeline accuracy. Some examples of quality metrics include:
Spending more time with true decision-makers: When sales reps focus solely on the quantity of sales calls, they tend to meet more frequently with more accessible stakeholders who may lack the necessary decision-making power. Shifting the focus to engaging with higher-powered stakeholders is the initial step towards improving quality.
Define call types and prioritize the most productive ones: Sales employ many different types of calls such as client “check-ins,” business retention, cold calls, and sales calls related to an opportunity. While all are essential, increasing the emphasis on opportunity related calls will significantly improve deal velocity.
Establish standards for effective pre-call planning: High-performing sales reps invest time in creating a pre-call plan for every customer engagement. A quality pre-call plan extends beyond developing an agenda and talking points. It includes primary and secondary objectives, a strategy for overcoming objections, impactful questions, and a plan for securing customer commitments.
Develop a plan for post-call assessments: Following call objectives, each customer engagement should be assessed based on the achievement of objectives and the commitments made by the customer to move forward. While the most effective assessments involve managers observing the sales call, the goal is to coach sales reps on how to self-assess each customer engagement.
Front-line Manager as Primary Coach
Finally, the key to transforming a sales organization lies in prioritizing the front-line manager as the primary coach, trainer, and strategist. While two-day sales training events may be useful for introducing concepts in the broader context, they are not sustainable for continuously improving sales skills. Front-line sales managers, given their extensive interaction with their teams, wield the most influence in ongoing education. However, for them to be effective, they must possess advanced coaching skills spanning various aspects of the sales journey, including territory strategies, sales processes, deal strategies, customer engagement, and pipeline management.
Typically, the primary challenge faced by front-line managers is time management, given the multitude of demands they encounter daily. Juggling various responsibilities, it is easy for coaching and development tasks to be neglected. Sales leaders who prioritize enhancing the skills of their front-line managers and cultivate a coaching culture within the organization tend to experience heightened retention rates and improved performance in achieving revenue goals.
Summary
In this contemporary sales landscape, navigating buying processes has become increasingly intricate and challenging. The conventional method of merely presenting products and services is no longer sufficient. Instead, successful sales reps will now need to position themselves as value creators who can effectively address and help solve customer problems. Sales organizations that shift their focus from a transactional selling approach to a more strategic one gain a distinct advantage over their competitors.
