Developing the right sales skills for your team

“You don’t get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results.”

The pressure to achieve targets quotas and goals can be severe.

From the perspective of both the management team and the sales manager and sales executive. There is no doubt that selling is results based but it is important to remember where the focus needs to go.

For a long time I have been a believer in the idea that “Activity = Results” – that idiom has been refined to read “The right kind of activity = the right kind of results” but the principle  still applies.

If it’s true that you don’t get results by focusing on results (and it is) then how do you get results?

As always there are many things at play, most of which are hard if not impossible to control.

What you think is important and it is possible to control your thoughts – if you believe it’s important enough to do so.

The oscillations and turbulence of life is a mirror for the ups and downs of the life in sales.

It’s a hard job both to manage and to execute but in the middle of it all there has to be some kind of commitment to success.

If you are committed to success for your business then you will make sure that your IT infrastructure is as good as it can be.

You will provide your team with the facilities to help them feel comfortable and safe at work – good coffee, clean water, break out areas, canteen, gym.

You will make sure that your finances and tax liabilities are under control – you might bring in external advice a couple of times a year to make sure that everything balances.

Human resources issues will be well managed.

Your sales team will be given a fleet of cars that are safe, reliable and are reflective of the culture and the values of your business.

The actions required for success are evident and usually well supported throughout the business as a matter of good housekeeping and yet when it comes to training, coaching and mentoring, the expectations are often unrealistic.

Agreeing KPIs in advance, benchmarking, personnel reviews are all part of the process – the down side is that the results of effective training are usually not visible quickly.

It takes time.

Patience.

Understanding.

Like going to the gym throughout January with the expectation of immediate weight loss.

Some of the actions required for the delivery of results include personal and staff development programmes and sales skills training.

How you plan to integrate that training into the business might well be a good litmus test for your commitment to the business development team.

I’m yet to meet anyone that doesn’t need training.

Shift Control is a business improvement consultancy specialising in sales strategy and sales skills development. For more information on how we can add value to your business please email info@shift-control.co.uk