I was involved in a webinar this week focusing on “Does your sales team have the critical skill set needed in the current environment”

I spoke about the mindset at play with sales teams and what needs to change.

We explored the critical sales skillset for sales. For sales it is consultative selling - being able to differentiate yourself. Selling on Value - many prospects would be asking for discounts and one way to go out of business is to continually reduce margins. Now the challenge is if the sales team are in scarcity mode, wanting to make sales because they NEED to to justify their existence, they will want to discount to get the deal.

We discussed the need for sales leaders (leading remote sales teams) to pick up their act and get stuck into coaching consistently. Considering few know how to do this, well here it eh challenge for business leaders. They need to grow revenue at yet the people their are entrusting that task to - sales manager, they have not been trained and therefore fall into the trap of selling, making up the shortfall, so the sales team do not improve.

We also spoke about re organising the sales team or getting more from less and a clever way to do this was as Jim Collins shares in his Good to Great book: 

“You must face the brutal facts to enable yourself to plan on how to move forward.”  

Rather than just look at the cost of the sales person and last years revenue as a guide, which when you think about is does not make a great selection process, add an understanding of their current sales skill sets - consultative, selling value, qualifying and hunting.  I showed a tool that has been developed to allow leaders to analyse the what if scenarios of changing their team around.

Finally I spoke about what sales people need to do to shorten the sales cycle.

Watch the video and I am sure you will take away some gems.

I used to say: if you do what you have always done you will get what you have always got. That is not true.

The outside world and market forces change and yes that maybe beyond your control. As a leader, all that matters is how you react with what is within your control.  

So face the brutal facts and make decisions on what you know. Do not assume. Then change, train, coach your sales team appropriately.  

Click here to see how SG Partners can assist you on facing the brutal facts and building the plan going forward.