Chad Angle serves as head of ReputationDefender, the world’s most trusted online reptation management company, an organization launched with the mission of empowering people and businesses to put their best foot forward online. In this role, Mr. Angle works closely with a high-performing sales team, recommending sales strategies based on extensive market research and competitor analysis, helping to expand the organization’s presence. This article will share practical tips and pointers to help sales teams improve their capabilities and exceed targets to support sustained business growth.
According to Salesforce’s ‘State of Sales’ report, 69% of salespeople agree that selling is getting harder, with 82% reporting that they have had to adapt quickly to new methods of selling. Alarmingly, just 28% of reps polled believed that their sales team would hit 100% of their annual quota, with 10% doubting they would even reach the halfway mark.
Sales teams around the world today are facing severe economic headwinds combined with longer sales cycles, changing buyer expectations, and larger buying groups. In addition, they are under huge pressure to master the art of virtual selling, embracing new methods and tools to reach audiences and ensure the profitability and sustainability of their business.
Improving sales performance depends on developing a comprehensive go-to-marketing plan that covers aspects such as pricing, messaging and positioning. Each of these touchpoints must align with the market, along with the company’s target customer and competitors. A product may be the best on the market, but if pricing is too high relative to the product’s perceived value, reps will struggle to close sales.
Sales performance is monitored by tracking various KPIs that reflect how salespeople are faring both individually and collectively. Metrics to measure include quota attainment, win rate, revenue by salespersons, sales cycle length, average deal size, customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and churn rate. According to HubSpot’s ‘Sales Trends Report’, the average sales win rate was 21% in 2023. To improve on that figure, individual sales reps and the team as a whole need to be accountable and open to embracing new opportunities conducive to their professional development.
The sales team’s performance is also a direct reflection of management and leadership. Sales team leaders are expected to push, challenge, and assist team members sufficiently, motivating reps to actively refine their skills and make the most of their abilities. This starts with effective onboarding and training and continues with thoughtful guidance, consistent attention, and an appropriate degree of trust.
To effectively track the performance of sales teams, businesses must put in place solid processes that are supported by robust customer relationship management and data. Sales teams need to ensure that messaging is consistent, time is used efficiently, and sales strategies are deployed consistently.
Close collaboration between marketing and sales teams is integral to enhancing sales performance. While marketing largely exists at the top of the sales funnel, generating awareness and leads, sales teams supply front-line feedback on aspects such as lead quality and how well the business’s messaging resonates with buyers. A disjointed relationship between marketing and sales teams culminates in miscommunication, missed opportunities, frustration, and lower overall performance.
Sales team performance is crucial to a company’s longevity, directly impacting the revenue and profitability of the business. Sustainable sales growth is a cornerstone of any successful business, indicating a healthy demand for the company’s products or services and supporting ongoing operations, investment in innovation, positive cashflow, and potential for expansion. Monitoring sales performance is therefore crucial for business owners, helping them to optimize sales strategies, identify areas for improvement, and contribute to the overall success and growth of the business.
