Control: A Mirage or an Essential Sales Element?

While most companies think they have a firm grasp on their internal sales process, very few do. The natural inclination of sales management is to exert a modicum of control over their reps and their reps actions. By doing this, they are able to report on things like daily movements of their staff, customers that appear to be close to buying, leads that are currently being worked, and the level of effort they get from members of the team. Given a few basic tools, they are even able to create reports on the progress and effectiveness of their staff. You take all of this and throw it in a mixing bowl and PRESTO!; you have what appears to be a very competent sales manager! If you are thinking that you are able to track more sales related details than this, I would say to you…..Purely semantics! The fallacy here is in thinking that somehow, success is directly correlated to statistical production. Granted, contact rates and closing percentages matter. In fact, there are a dozen relevant stats that can help guide decision making. But as a matter of management, there are more significant hurdles to deal with and track.

For example, if you send a rep out to sell predicated on the market position your company has developed, you must track the effectiveness of that positioning throughout your entire staff. The failure to do so says to your reps that the entire sales dynamic raises and falls with there ability to march in the exact manner that you have prescribed. There is no other way to get the statistical analysis to come out in their favor. Those of us that have been in sales for longer than 5 minutes understand that interpersonal dynamics are highly fluid. And a company that does not account for or support this fundamental fact simply does not understand what they are up against. Think about this; if consumer markets are cycling faster now than at any other time in our history, how long is the same market position good for? How long will the same approach, the same sales arguments, and the same sales process work? The only honest answer is that nobody really knows. That is, without doing the homework to find out. It is exponentially more important to have control over your message and methods than over your staff and the minutia of details that can be extrapolated from specific tasks. While boots on the ground will always be part of any sales process, the critical question to ask is, at what point in the process do they come into play? From the prospective of effectiveness and efficiency, companies must first create a process flow of everything sales related to begin understanding the market trends they are up against. The first priority is to understand the things that matter to your customers.

Selling based on a nut and bolt comparison may be an effective way to create a contrast between you and your competitors. It may also just serve to bore your prospects. Your prospects may not care about the difference in quality, service, years in business, reliability, raw material advantages, etc… Sometimes, there are assumptions made by the entire market. For example, safety is assumed in markets that it should not be. But the reality is that consumers feel that if you are in business, you must make a safe product. Otherwise, you would not be in business because the government wouldn’t allow it. No matter how wrong that thinking may be in a given industry, the facts are the facts! To this kind of company, it is imperative to understand what does matter to the prospects! When companies understand these kinds of market based elements, they are better able to prepare their sales staff for the sales environment. That’s control! The ability to send your rep out armed with the knowledge of what his prospects actually care about can and will be the difference in attaining high marks within your statistical analysis. This kind of understanding is relevant in every industry and can be applied with the same levels of success. Imagine selling an intangible service. Knowing the specifics of your market becomes the only way to stand out.

Your methods will dictate the success rate of your staff in very much the same way. Knowing what matters to your prospects is critical, but knowing how to talk them will determine if you will even get the chance to start the discussion. From psychological information you gather in the first part, you can determine the vehicle that will best drive your message to them. Markets are fickle so the selection of your approach must not be taken lightly. The age old tactics of huge contact rates does not apply anymore. Would you rather have your reps talk to 100 prospects to sell 10 or talk to 15 to sell 10? The answer is obvious and your choice of method will literally dictate the success rates. Often, a combination of different contact methods will be the best way to go but you must understand the order and process by which this will take place. Understanding why will help you make the necessary adjustments as your market begins to cycle. There are as many ways to contact your market directly as there are things to say once you get their attention. Smart companies take the selection of this process very seriously and our clients will tell you that it makes a big difference. At Defiant Sales, we build these kinds of processes and profile for specific buying triggers. I can tell you first hand that these two components are the most important parts of your sales process.

When it comes to gaining control of your revenue generation, it is more important to understand what drives business. While sales reps can offer a positive impact, they are far less effective without the tools that matter. All companies should strive for control in this dynamic. However, real control comes from a diligent pursuit of the aspects that make everyone successful. Knowing what matters to your prospects and how to make meaningful contact will put you ahead of your competitors in any industry!