Don’t Make This Mistake With Your Sales Force
Okay, I admit it, I kinda started it, but I’d like to end it.
I get a beaucoup of emails every, single day wanting to know what a great theme would be for their sales force.
I can’t tell you that, without an intimate ( paid, long-term ) relationship with your company.
If I could do that, thru an email, with no knowledge of your past sales history, market share, current strategy, etc., I wouldn’t be a sales czar, I’d be Cris Angel, Mind Freak or I’d be Mike Sigers, Sales Freak.
Here’s what we’re going to say about sales contests, themes for those and all that jazz for future reference:
One of the most serious mistakes you, as a sales manager, can make is to constantly change your sales strategy.
We could also say it’s a marketing problem at it’s very root.
Changing quotas, holding constant contests, special bonuses, etc., only prove that you’re desperate.
Those are symptoms of a bigger problem, which is, no clear focus, no real marketing strategy, no real sales leadership.
It shows that sales management is just relying on sales people to go out and find business, any business, wherever they can find it.
You may generate some short-term sales, but you’ll generate no long-term success.
Once that push is no longer generating enough sales volume, you have to “re-gimmick” your strategy.
I’d advise any sales people who work for an organization like this to start looking for a better team to work for. Quietly, maybe, but quickly, for sure.
When you fall into the trap of reacting to market swings, instead of being proactive and being in front of the swings, being the thought leaders for your industry, you’re on the path to being less successful than you could be.
In reality, there’s no substitute for a well planned, carefully crafted sales strategy that your company can implement, execute and adapt with sensible and intelligent precision.
That’s the key to a successful sales force, not sales contests.
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6 Responses to “Don’t Make This Mistake With Your Sales Force”
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I agree. It’s more like having no mission in the course of our business. There should be some principles in which everyone in the business believes so that in case of confusion, there will some answers.
Thanks for joining in John.
Having no mission is worse than a bad mission. At least with a bad mission you can adjust it and make it better. With no mission, you never know if you’re facing the right direction or not.
Sage advice. It’s easy to get into an opportunistic, reactive mindset in sales. I think that’s why sales managers have so much trouble crafting, let alone sticking to, a strategic plan. Yet, all the best sales organizations are strategic, don’t you think?
Hey Brad - I’m betting the best prepared, best equipped, best trained sales people come from professionally run, professionally managed organizations.
You play like you practice … most of the time.
Thanks for adding to the conversation and come back soon.
Nice post. I agree with you about those problems. Because most of us wants to compete with others, sales strategies and other changes will most likely happen.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Irene.
I appreciate the time and effort. Please come back soon.
Mike