There are a lot of places to examine (and blame) if your company isn’t consistently achieving sales goals. Favorite places to place the blame is the sales team or sales manager. However, look a little closer and you’ll often find the finger pointing right back at the CEO for missed revenue targets.
The CEO is ultimately responsible for setting and getting expectations for a high-performance sales organization. Apply the emotional intelligence skills of self-awareness and reality testing. Unless a CEO is AWARE of what needs to change, the REALITY is nothing will change. You’ll keep “getting what you are getting.”
Here are two areas to examine that will impact the achievement of sales goals.
- Examine the sales metrics you are measuring from your sales manager. CEOs are diligent about asking their sales managers to report the sales numbers, sales pipeline or sales forecast. These are important numbers to track, CEOs often miss the tracking and measurement of another set of numbers.
- They don’t measure the number of hours their sales management team invests in one-on-one coaching sessions. They don’t measure the number of pre-briefs and debriefs conducted by the sales manager.
- Reality check. If you want to increase sales, measure the metrics that positively change the sales numbers.
- Sales pipeline reports inform you of the sales numbers. The number of hours invested in coaching and training IMPROVE the sales numbers.
- Track and measure both sets of numbers.
- Examine your development and training philosophy. Congratulations. You are a CEO that values learning and approved dollars for sales and sales management training. The training is conducted and you proudly check off the training and development box.
Your team is now educated---for the rest of their lives!
“One and done” training will be wildly successful as long as you DO NOT:
- Introduce any new products or services to your customers and prospects.
- Sell into new verticals.
- Have a new competitor that enters your space.
- Experience a change in your customers buying habits.
Yes, I am being a bit sarcastic and a tad snarky. Change is a constant in business so effective CEOs are always looking for ways to ensure their company is relevant. Dollars are invested in upgrading ERP Systems, marketing, equipment and software.
Reality check. Are you applying this same strategy to your sales department? Invest in upgrading your sales team’s knowledge, habits and skills. A sales approach that worked two years ago may not be relevant today. Anyone now selling their services through video instead of face-to-face meetings?
Training and development is a process not a one time event.
If you aren’t happy with your company’s growth, start at the top. Examine your role in missed revenue goals.
Good selling!
