Achieving Sales Accountability and Sales Results Thru: “Traps” and Reviews
Definition: TRAPS—document/requirement that “traps” your sales team into doing successful activity that produces consistent results.
As the quarter is winding down, Sales Leaders can’t rely on the hope that sales people will make changes in order to produce better results. What we can do as Leader/managers is to help sales people make adjustments for short or measured periods of time to help them improve their sales performance. An effective and efficient practice is to focus on what can be measured, and therefore, controlled.
First and foremost, our desired choice is to help insure our salespeople ACHIEVE THE BUDGET. The choice we can make is to periodically and “semi-formally” set “traps” for the sales people to be accountable.
Management Rule: Sales performance is all about accepting responsibility and accountability…NOT ACCEPTING EXCUSES!
As your sales team’s results may fluctuate over short periods of time, we as Leader/managers need methods to “tighten the system” to help salespeople make the adjustments needed to produce the desired sales result and accept personal responsibility.
We need to develop “traps.”
Examples of “traps”:
Annual Sales Plan ________________________________
A, B, C account plans _____________________________
Specific Weekly Prospecting Activity_____________________________________
Deal Check Lists/Milestones _____________________________________
Negative Consequences/Repercussions __________________________________
Systems & Processes ________________________________________
Tracking Systems ________________________________
Goal Setting _____________________________________
KPI’s: Metric Reviews _____________________________
Deadlines _______________________________________
Pipeline Reviews _________________________________
The Ultimate Management “TRAP”
- Your people should ALWAYS know where their business is, where it has been and where it is coming from. Even if you stop them for a “hallway” conversation!
- Their job is to achieve their sales numbers each quarter and “retire” the budget.
- In order to retire the number, they must have a plan that can be reviewed and one that can stand up to scrutiny.
- Each sales person must be prepared to present their annual & quarterly plans to management and the sales group for feedback, input and coaching.
- Their quarterly plan review is all about accountability: starting in the first quarter, each month of the quarter and each week of the month. Sales vs. goals; why up or down—what they will do immediate to stay ahead of budget or immediately “catch up” and achieve budget. “No option” behavior & accountability!
- The first time you/they conduct this quarterly meeting it will be long and probably “painful.” Each follow up quarterly meeting will go more smoothly as it is a continuation of the planning and execution cycle.
- Everyone in sales must do the review. It is a lesson in accountability and responsibility. It also helps “get rid of excuses” over time.
Management Rule: “If you can’t control it, you can’t manage it.”
Start today to help your sales people achieve sales accountability & results! If you need help creating “traps” and creating a plan to ensure your team retires their budget – call us immediately – don’t wait.
