Want to Exceed Sales Targets? Have a Dynamic Yet Active Sales Methodology

Having an effective sales methodology starts with sales coaching. Many sales organizations have a defined methodology (even if it isn’t followed). They may have sales methodology training services that meet expectations. Yet, they can’t really call their sales methodology a success because salespeople and their managers are inconsistent, at best, at applying the defined sales methodology in the field. Sales coaching services to drive reinforcement and adoption is the key ingredient many of these organizations are missing.

Tamara Schenk of CSO Insights clearly lays out the case for having a well defining sales methodology. Here are her three key insights.

Create a vision and change story to drive sales target engagement – Many sales organizations are great at telling sales people what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Fewer sales organizations are great at providing their employees with a compelling vision and a change story that answers the “why” question. This is a sales leader’s accountability. Sales enablement leaders should initiate and help to co-develop and communicate the vision and the change story. AND… cast the vision often!

Integrate the methodology into your sales process – Sales Processes describe the required actions in a sequence, while the methodology explains, in detail, how to do it and why. Ideally, the sales methodology is fully integrated into the selling processes, powered by the CRM. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to initiate an isolated sales methodology initiative or CRM disconnected from your sales culture. Integration matters.

Initiate sales coaching to drive adoption and reinforcement – Due to their daily contact with frontline salespeople, sales managers are the linchpin to increasing adoption of any sales enablement initiative, including the implementation of a sales methodology. In this year’s CSO study, organizations that took a formal approach to sales coaching achieved win rates of 54.7%, 5.2 points higher than the study’s average. Those that added the dynamic element to their sales coaching approach raised their win rate to 57.7%, 8.2 points higher than the study’s average. Think about the impact on profits and sales people retention.

Download the full CSO research paper on Sales Methodology here.

Have a great week!

Michael J Griffin

ELAvate Founder

MHG CSO Partner for Indonesia

Master Sales Trainer