Seven Strategies We’ve Used to Amplify a Sales Team’s Performance
Justin Shaw
Stone Fabricator Elite
If you’re an owner or operator of a stone fabrication or countertop company without a sales manager on staff, you likely have limited bandwidth to drive the level of performance you need from your salespeople to ensure your business is successful and profitable. Sales reps are the keystone to a business’s success and profitability because they directly influence revenue generation and the quality of your customer relationships.
The challenge for many stone shops is (even with a sales manager) with endless responsibilities, often there is limited oversight and support of your sales team. Getting them to perform at the level you need might seem like another mountain to climb. But there’s good news – it’s a climb that can be made easier, and we have just the roadmap for you.
Some of the Common Problems
1. Lack of Oversight: Without a dedicated sales manager, there’s no one to monitor and assess sales performances. This can lead to missed opportunities and inconsistencies in the sales approach.
2. Limited Onboarding of Sales Reps: Without proper initiation, new hires might feel lost and struggle to understand company products, values, processes, and/or selling techniques.
3. No Development of Skills: Despite the critical role of sales in businesses, a surprising 70% of sales reps lack formal training (source: Task Drive), leaving them ill-equipped to succeed in their role and meet your expectations.
4. Lacking the Right Tools and Processes: To excel, sales reps need more than just a phone and a contact list. They need, at minimum, a proper CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to organize, strategize, and optimize their sales process and activities.
Lack of these critical elements doesn’t just limit sales performance and revenue generation; it impacts employee satisfaction. Sales reps, when unsupported, tend to underperform, leading to high turnover rates. Now that we’ve discussed the problems, let’s look at the solutions.
7 Strategies to Amplify Sales Rep Performance
1. Proper Onboarding Process: Before they make their first call or attend their first meeting, sales reps should be thoroughly acquainted with your products, company culture, and the industry at large. An effective onboarding process can set the tone for their entire journey with your company.
2. Defined Sales Process: Each sale shouldn’t be a new adventure. Having a defined process means each lead is approached systematically, increasing the chances of conversion. This process should be adaptable to individual client needs, but its essence should remain constant.
3. Structuring Sales Rep Days (Time Blocking): Structure is the backbone of efficiency. By time blocking, reps can dedicate specific hours to client calls, prospect research, lead nurturing, and admin tasks, ensuring each activity gets its due attention.
4. Use of a Proper CRM Tool: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are no longer optional. They help track interactions with prospects and clients, ensuring no lead is neglected. These tools provide insights into client preferences and behavior, assisting reps in tailoring their approach.
5. Reporting for Accountability: What gets measured gets managed. Regular reporting and feedback to reps ensure that salespeople are held accountable for their performance. It highlights areas of improvement and success stories to replicate.
6. Access to Sales Training Resources: Sales reps need to be provided with training resources and, ideally, also hands-on coaching. Here’s a stat to consider: for the majority of sales professionals, 84% of their sales training is forgotten within three months. So it’s important to make sales rep development an ongoing process versus a one-and-done approach.
An additional note on accountability and training. For nearly 60% of US-based companies, the primary challenge in delivering efficient sales training is ensuring accountability. If sales reps aren’t held responsible for utilizing the knowledge they’ve acquired, the training can quickly become futile.
I hope you found this article helpful and that you can adopt some or all of the strategies shared here. If you’re thinking, “This all makes sense, but how do I fit it into my already packed calendar?” Let’s dive into that with our 7th way to amplify sales rep performance!
7. Leverage a team of Sales Sidekicks!
Many of the country’s top stone fabrication and countertop companies are already benefiting from using the industry-leading Sales Sidekick Program. Shops that are benefiting from having a team of Sales Sidekicks to support their sales reps and performance include members of the Rockheads Group, ISFA, and Stone Fabricator Alliance. The Sales Sidekick Program is a turnkey solution tailored to address the gaps we’ve covered here and to level up sales rep performance—without adding more work to your plate.
This unique program provides:
CRM Sales Pipeline Oversight: Ensuring that no lead slips through the cracks.
Rep Accountability: We track sales rep performance and offer consistent feedback.
Weekly Sales Sprints: Fast-paced, focused efforts to achieve short-term goals.
Monthly Sales Training & Development: Regular skill upgrades to keep your team at the top of their game.
Don’t leave your sales performance to chance! While your dedication and hard work have brought you this far, investing in your sales team will provide you with an outsized return and unlock the next level of growth for your business.
Justin Shaw is the founder of Stone Fabricator Elite, a new business development and sales improvement agency. Their flagship program includes providing end-to-end CRM implementation, full onboarding, support and monitoring to ensure sales teams are effectively using the tool and that the shops see a measurable improvement in sales. You can learn more about Stone Fabricator Elite at www.stonefabricatorelite.com .