Do you have a playbook for your sales organization? If you don’t, how do you know that they are being successful? The obvious answer is if they meet and exceed goals right? Well, partly. If that is your only barometer then how do you know it will continue? How to you create a repeatable process to make sure it does and most importantly if the success is not continuing how do know what to analyze to see the mistakes?
The implementation of a sales playbook can be one of the most impactful initiatives for any sales organization. There are several reasons for this tremendous ROI. First, by following some simple processes, it can be a remarkably easy initiative to implement, and second, there is often more than 33% in increased revenue.
1. Repeatable Winning Sales Processes
The key word here is ‘repeatable’. When everyone adopts the same sales process, there is a common language that is understood, not just by sales, but by others within the organization.
2. Consultative Selling is the only way to Sell in Todays’ Environment.
No one wants to be pitched a product or service. The psychology of people must be taken into consideration in sales today. Getting someone to see past your price, your competition etc. is only done consultatively.
3. The ability to Manage a team with True Consistency
Sales managers often manage the way they sold previously. The off the hip, “here’s what I would do” style of management is truly not managing nor it is leading to success. Having a playbook will allow a map to help both manager and salesperson to help identify successes and challenges specifically so learning can be implemented.
4. Sales Steps at Appropriate Stages for Progress
At each stage of the sales process, salespeople need to employ the right tools at the right time to advance the sale to the next stage in the process. A business to business sale is most often not a single event. Since that is true, the sale needs strong stages of mini-closes all along the way.
5. Integration with your CRM System
This one should be a ‘no-brainer’. The playbook must integrate tightly with the CRM system so when the salesperson works from the top of the sales funnel, which is the act of prospecting regularly and track that activity to understand future success down to the actual close of the sale. The sales manager needs to ability to review the CRM and at any time understand where in the process the salesperson is.
6. Sales Forecast Ability
The accuracy of sales forecasts most often leaves a lot to be desired. To maximize the impact of your sales playbook on the accuracy of your sales forecast, there are two things to consider. (1) Does the sales playbook incorporate intelligence that objectively monitors the close date of the sale? (2) Does the sales playbook provide the sales manager with insight into deal vulnerabilities and risks in the sale?
Sales may be considered a social skill but if you leave it up to your salespeople to use their personality and there gut to sell, you are taking a big risk. Today selling is as much of a process as any other part of your organization. If it isn’t treated that way, your results will suffer.