This week, we have been discussing how small, virtually unnoticeable changes that occur that may sometimes derail your success in sales and what you can do to avoid those pitfalls.
Today we will visit how to avoid those same situations that may occur in sales teams, organizations and companies.
It is reasonably easy for an individual to watch for and prevent the damage that can occur from drifts in their process. The reason is simple. We can monitor our own results easily. We are the single eyewitness that has observed all of our actions and processes. And when needed, we are only attempting to change the behavior of one person.
It is much more difficult for a sales leader, marketing company or organization to notice the drift in sales team chemistry, sales processes and sales philosophy. They may track results effectively – but in many cases are forced to make their best educated guess as to what may be going wrong. And once they believe they understand what should be changed; the larger the group – the longer it may take to effectively make the change. Consider this analogy: an individual sales person may turn their performance around as quickly as a speedboat may change directions. A small sales team may be able to turn performance around a bit slower – at the speed of a battleship. However, to turn a large sales team or company around may be as slow as turning an aircraft carrier in rough seas.
To keep your team on track – take the following steps:
Stay True To Your Core Values: Know the core values of how your team or organization serves customers, prospective customers, team members and the community. Make sure that any changes you initiate are always consistent with those core values. Protect those values – if they are the correct values, they will protect your team.[lightbox link=”https://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/check-the-pulse.jpg” thumb=”https://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/check-the-pulse.jpg” width=”300″ align=”right” title=”check the pulse” frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””]
Keep Your Finger On The Pulse:When a patient is in critical condition – their pulse is monitored constantly to watch for dangerous changes. Don’t wait until your team is in critical condition to keep your finger on the pulse. Monitor the pulse of your team in three key areas:
- Get regular and open feedback from your team members about current market conditions, sales processes, and their opinion of the health of the organization. Be sure to create an environment where they know they may share without repercussions.
- Track the activities and results from your sales process. Establish a culture of communication for the purpose of coaching and accountability.
- Stay abreast of what your competition is doing. Monitor their websites. Seek information in the field. You do not want to make changes to your products or services strictly on the basis of what your competition is doing – but you do need to know what is going on in the marketplace.
Test Process and Philosophy Changes on a Small Scale: Any change in process will yield changes in results – whether good or bad. Test changes first with a small group before rolling them out to your entire organization.
QUESTION: How open is the communication line between your team members and you?
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