Back to Basics: Sales Fundamentals
In a world of on-demand tools and automation, it’s easy for Sales Reps to get overwhelmed and lose sight of the most basic fundamentals for success. It’s our job as Sales Managers to help our Reps sort through all of the tools and automation, and to determine how to be most effective with their time. We need to keep the basic fundamentals at the forefront of our minds while also seeking to improve prospect intelligence and hit rate through tools and automation.
These fundamentals are:
Volume of Activity: There must be activity to generate quota or revenue. Simply, if your Reps aren’t making calls or sending enough emails to reach your prospects, no amount of tools or automation will help. Set reasonable and measureable activity goals for your Reps, such as number of completed calls per day, number of conversations, number of emails sent
Knowledge: Ensure your Reps know your products and services better than anyone. Test their knowledge through role playing and product discussions.
Articulate and Concise Communication: Besides knowing what they are talking about, Reps should know how to articulate their knowledge about your products and services. Monitor calls and do roll playing to see how your Reps communicate your messaging.
Awareness: Making sure that your Reps can listen to and understand what prospects are communicating is crucial. Your Reps should not just be telling your prospects about your products, but seeking to understand the prospects needs and relating those needs to your solutions.
Strategy: Every Sales Rep should know the basics of sales strategy: how to navigate to the right prospect, how to uncover the prospect’s pain, how to qualify a prospect, how to position against competition, and how to close. Monitoring your Reps calls is the best way to find out their areas for improvement.
Attitude: A positives, enthusiastic, and professional attitude is one of the most important assets of a successful Sales Rep. Cultivate an environment that supports this type of behavior and discourages the contrary. Work with your Reps, through role playing and call monitoring, to improve their professional demeanor.
By: Kristina McMillan, Sr. Project Manager, SalesRamp
