Successful sales execution requires more than sales technology.
“Joanne, the challenge is always in the execution.” That’s what a client told me more than 20 years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it. Companies today purchase the latest and greatest sales technology, provide minimal training, and then wonder why it’s not adopted across the board. Because it doesn’t actually help with sales execution.
In most companies, as much as 50 percent of tech purchases are never implemented. In one organization, a salesperson told me he purchased technology on his own, because he had used it at his previous company and couldn’t live without it. It’s never a good idea to have lone rangers on your team, is it?
Sales technology might help you identify prospects, but it won’t solve your sales execution challenges. For that, salespeople need to know how to have business conversations, how to build relationships, and how to take responsibility for delivering what they promised.
It’s our job as consultative salespeople to guide our clients on what it takes to get the results they expect and to be with them throughout the sales execution. If clients don’t agree or aren’t willing to invest in what works, get out. Yes, you read that right. If clients ask me to train their sales teams on referral selling with no strategy, no metrics, no accountability, and no coaching, I walk. If I can’t properly execute the solution I offer, I can’t guarantee it will provide the expected results. And I’m not OK with that.
Nick Hulse, managing director of Europe for Sales Benchmark Index, says most companies aren’t achieving profitable growth, yet they have detailed strategic plans. What’s going wrong? In his article, “How the Best CEOS Drive Their Strategy to the Salesforce,” he shares startling data about ineffective sales execution and specific steps to ensure this doesn’t happen in your company.
Read his article to refine your strategy for 2020. Then introduce your team to the only sales tactic that guarantees all your leads are qualified—referral selling. Invite me to speak at your next sales meeting or event.
(Featured image attribution: Steve Johnson)
May I suggest not to forget culture which eats strategy for breakfast. Yes and general von Moltke is known for the quote “No plan survives the first contact with the enemy”. Translated to business, this means the execution requires agility.
Strategy Alignment is #1. Whatever your Sales strategy, you have to be 100% certain you have total support from Marketing, BD, and Client Success. Without alignment, no strategy.
Purposeful Customer Engagement is #2. IF you cannot teach, train and hold reps accountable for skills necessary to provide the value necessary on each call, it matters not what your strategy is. Performance Support is #3. If Sales Ops cannot track it and put it on a scoreboard in Red/Yellow/Green for real-time feedback don’t consider doing it. If Sales Enablement can’t provide you with the content/research/process to execute the leading indicators on every interaction, it won’t matter. If your frontline Sales Manager doesn’t coach reps and hold them accountable to implementing skills & actions the strategy requires to succeed, again its a complete waste of time. IF reps participate in stating poorly defined values & vague skills to reach goals that are too far out, too out of reach, they will always live in the land of mediocrity regardless of Strategy. Executives who think up the strateties HAVE TO MODEL the accountability with Frontline Managers who in turn are responsible for holding the employees accountable the same way…..THESE are THE 2 KEY LINKS between strategy and execution…..as they both explain, demand, expect and inspect….so goes execution of any strategy. IF either Exec or Manager breaks the trust of the employee who instinctlvely seeks safety and security in their ability to provide for their families…….Strategy is DOA. Think carefully before you go to implement anything……massive wasted of time for everyone if you dont structure your company for success.