Lean, Mean Selling Machines

Here we go again. Assuming a calendar fiscal year, it’s a new season, a new quarter. 2012 numbers have long been finalized. Recognition and achievement awards have almost all been passed out. New 2013 territory assignments and quota targets are set or very close to getting locked down. It’s game time.

New hires are settling in. Some past players have been released. It’s a “leaner” and, if not “meaner” team, there there are high expectations for a top producing sales machine that will achieve and exceed sales revenue goals and expectations for the coming year.

This is how it starts every year at this time. Lessons learned, new upgrades in players, plans and products. There’s much hope and optimism. What could go wrong?

For sales managers and salespeople, here are 4 key areas to watch closely:

1. Territory Priorities – It’s so easy to get distracted by shiny objects in the territory that will not produce in the short or even long term. Macro and micro territory prioritization will drive critical focus decisions. Got a focused plan?

2. Activity Metrics – This is personal. It’s not about management rants or CRM dashboards. Salespeople need to be students of their own daily sales activities and ruthlessly own and know their patterns. Do you know your metrics?

3. Flexible Messaging – It’s more than knowing scripts and asking questions. Being compelling, provocative, insightful, crisp and purposeful, short and long, all the time to anyone before you is a developed skill. Can you flex your message?

4. Repeatable Process – Great producers target, call, meet, question, probe, demo, propose, close and move on. Over and over again. They are a machine. They know what works and do it confidently every day. Are you a selling machine?

Have a great year!