Do you have a Winning Sales Organization?

Want to get a fix on how your sales team compares with sales organizations internationally?  Are you interested in the top sales challenges and the characteristics of those that are demonstrating the fastest rates of growth?  

Well, Miller Heimann annual study of more than 2000 sales organisations has the answers,profiling some of the key characteristics of winning sales organisations - organisations that enjoy 20% annual growth..

I have interpreted some of the key emphases from the 2008 study, looking in particular to those areas relevant to sales managers in the UK and Ireland (and consistent with our own benchmarking data for sales managers in the British Isles).

Based on the characteristics here are some of the key strategies for winning sales organisations:

1.       Getting Senior Management More Involved in supporting sales and an executive to executive selling

2.       Getting Sales and Marketing Working Better Together

3.       Adopting a more systematic approach to managing sales opportunities

4.       Communicating a More Compelling Sales Proposition

5.       Bridging the performance gap between the best and the poorest sales person

6.       A Comprehensive Plan for Prospecting

7.       Understanding & appreciating the results achieved by customers

8.       Win-loss analysis / feedback

9.       Engage strategic accounts in product / service planning 

Sales training is not enough!

What type of training do we traditionally provide to sales people? Well here is a list:

- Selling skills
- Presentation skills
- Negotiation skills
- Closing techniques
- Computer skills
- Product knowledge

But, think of the characteristics of top performing sales people:

- Confident
- Driven
- Determined
- Motivated
- Relationship builder
- Good communicator
- Product knowledge
- Contacts & Network
- Sales process

Now, compare the two lists. 80% of training is based on developing knowledge and skills, where as 80% of the characteristics of sales champions are attitude based.

Most training focuses on knowledge and skills, where as to be a top performer is 80% attitude. The implication is that developing sales champions cannot take place in the classroom alone. Hence the important role of coaching in developing top performing sales people.