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How to Identify Where Your Sales Team is Struggling

Find the Root of the Problem

If your sales organization is struggling with margins, deal size, and overall sales productivity, you, as a sales leader, are likely trying anything to stop the bleeding. Your first step is to assess the root of the problem. Then, determine what you can change to drive the biggest impact.

Where are you seeing the worst of it?

Poor sales metrics typically materialize when there are inefficiencies in one of these four areas of sales effectiveness. Use these four categories to identify where your sales team is struggling.

1. Sales Messaging

Does your sales organization have a consistent message to engage your buyers, or are your salespeople just winging it?

• What problems do we solve for our customers?

• Specifically, how do we solve those problems?

• How do we solve those differently or better than everyone else?

• Where have we done it before?

Ask your salespeople the following questions:

1. Sales Messaging

Every one of your salespeople should be able to answer these questions in the same way.

If not, you have a sales messaging problem.

1. Sales Messaging

2. Sales Process

If your sales cycles are too long and your win rates are less than stellar, it’s likely the way you sell isn’t aligned with the way your customers buy.

• How aligned are the selling and buying processes?

• How do we ensure opportunities are qualified?

• How do we ensure reps don’t skip sales steps?• What are the customer outcomes that move an opportunity to

the next sales process stage?

Consider these questions:

2. Sales Process

2. Sales Process

If you aren’t confident your sales teams have clear answers to these questions, retool your sales process.

Make it easy for your sales teams to execute.

3. Sales Planning

Your problems stem from sales planning if: • Reps are frequently missing quota

• Forecast is consistently inaccurate

• Every quarter is a fire drill to make the number

3. Sales Planning

• How do reps build pipeline?

• How accurately do we forecast revenue?

• How do we ensure quota attainment?

Consider these questions:

3. Sales Planning

Create a sales planning process that enables accurate revenue forecasts.

Enable a disciplined approach to develop territory, account and opportunity plans.

4. Sales Talent

Sales talent is an often overlooked problem that could cripple your bottom line. Bad hires are often costly mistakes.

4. Sales Talent

• What does success look like in a role?

• Why have we hired the wrong people in the past?

• Why do we lose key talent to the competition?

• How do we hold people accountable for results?

Questions to Guide Future Improvements:

4. Sales Talent

Develop a talent management process that fuels hiring, onboarding and retaining top sales talent.

It’s a critical component to lower turnover rates and a improved bench strength.

Implement the Right Solutions to Your Sales Challenges

Ready for Results?

How to get started on a sales initiative

How to pick the right transformation partner

How Force Management can help

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