step 1:
Sales Process Mapping
A great relief to many sales and customer service teams is mapping the sales processes from inquiry to after-sales service to identify the steps and roles required to achieve customer expectations and satisfaction. So many time, team members have different perspectives that can lead to misunderstanding and misalignment.
- Map the current "as is" sales process
- Identify changes required for an improved future state of the sales process
- Understand new resources and communications required to achieve success
- Present sales process to management for approval
step 2:
Sales Role Definitions
Role definition and boundaries alleviate stress and improves productivity in sales teams. Finding a team momentum and constant stream of communication about existing issues and new opportunities is important for keeping customers feeling appreciated and engaged.
- Define roles and KPIs for all sales customer service positions
- Communicate roles and KPIs among the team along with individual strengths and talents to meet expectations
- Clarify the metrics that will be utilized to measure performance
- Map roles to sales process so that process ownership is well-defined and transparent
Step 3:
Sales Team Accountability
The degree of accountability among a team is the predictor of success. With the right customer focus, measures, roles and action plans for success, implementation is staged for success. High performing sales teams desire accountability and guidance to stay on track via a mixture of communications and tools.
- Set clear team performance measures; keeping in mind that sales-oriented team members are driven by commission/bonus structures
- Develop appropriate base compensation and commission structure for each role
- Create pace for regular weekly, monthly and/or quarterly meetings with clear agendas
- Give individual feedback report to sales representatives on a weekly and monthly basis
- Develop dashboard for reporting metrics