Need a New Sales Growth Strategy to get Unstuck?

Need a New Sales Growth Strategy to get Unstuck?

What is the top challenge you see that’s limiting your sales growth, where you’re feeling stuck?

This is the question we asked CEOs at a recent Roundtable entitled, The Sales Fight of Your Business Life. Here are some of the concerns raised…

– “Our world has become increasingly remote. How do I find salespeople who are tech-savvy, and know-how to build meaningful relationships using digital sales tools?”

– “I’m in a business and growth phase, so I can’t afford beefy salaries, but I can afford a good commission. For that to work, I need motivated salespeople who can take ownership for their results. How do I find them?”

– “How do I get the best bang for my buck, marketing-wise? I need to get the word out there about our new innovative solutions – and feel like I’ve been wasting time and money. How can I adapt my strategy to leverage technology and get this new solution kicked off?”

– “My salespeople are good at getting the easy-to-pick, low-hanging fruit. They need to have strategic business conversations. It’s critical that they listen and determine what is the best long-term business solution for the client. How do I get my sales teams unstuck?”

The presidents, CEO’s, and business owners at our Roundtable aren’t the only ones with concerns. I hear these questions from leaders every day:

• With increasing competitive pressure, how are my salespeople going to hang on to our top customers?
• We have aggressive growth targets. How in the world are my salespeople going to take the market share needed to reach our numbers – considering the economy and market we are in?
• What do we need to do differently to ensure we not only survive but thrive, in the new virtual selling world?

We can draw parallels between these questions…

What might we do to get our sales team optimized and/or expanded to grow revenues, raise margins, and take market share?

Choose a Pathway that Leads to Sales Growth

These leaders are asking Growth Path Questions, versus rambling about Stuck Path Complaints.

I’m a bit of a science geek, so let me illustrate what I see in my mind’s eye when I say Growth Path Question vs. Stuck Path Complaints.

I love this visual tool – the Hoberman Sphere, a scientific and educational toy, that I keep close by my desk for my grandchildren to explore.

Watch the short video above.  It illustrates the difference between two pathways we and our sales leaders, sales teams, and salespeople can take:

• Stuck path: Some, represented by my small, closed ball, are concerned and frustrated with their results…and, don’t do anything about it. They feel hopeless and helpless. Their shrinking-thinking mindset steals, destroys, or limits their ability to overcome challenges. They crush any new ideas that don’t fit their paradigm and they stay on a stuck path.
• Growth path: These sales professionals choose to open their colorful ball to its full capacity, allowing their abilities to expand. They are open to leadership development. They have chosen a mindset that energizes their business and optimizes their skills and opportunities.  They embrace creative innovative strategies that tap the talents of those around them.

If you know someone on the Stuck Path, they may find inspiration from this quote by Dale Carnegie:

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

What might you do to choose a growth pathway – one that will expand, empower, and energize those you lead?

Maximize your Sales Growth Potential

Imagine with me….

Imagine your sales team as an expandable toy ball.  What does it look like? Is it small and crushed, or expanded to its full capacity? Is it on the Stuck Path? Or, the Growth Path?

Many business leaders confess that they feel like their sales teams are stuck, not reaching their capacity.  But they are nervous about taking steps. Why?

Because changes in processes and strategy can turn into a nightmare quickly. Too many mistakes can be costly in the short term and may also have long-lasting effects.

So, what’s the answer to charting an action plan that creates sales traction, sales growth?

Accurate insights.

You need accurate insights into root issues.

You want accurate insights into what’s really happening with your sales teams…so that you can make decisions with clarity and confidence.

6 Critical Sales Strategy Stuck Points

As you’re sizing up your expansion and/or optimization strategy options, these are some of the common sales strategy Stuck Points I see:

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #1: Introducing new Products and Services 

As a Covid lock-down recovery strategy, you’re launching innovative new products and services. Your sales team is telling you that it’s tougher than ever out there to get in front of the right people.  Which of your sales leaders and salespeople can grow their capacity and sell successfully in these new market conditions?

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #2: Emerging Trends

You’re shifting from a product to a technology-based, enterprise solution. What skills do your sales managers and salespeople need to strengthen so they can successfully make the transition to a more conceptual-based, enterprise solution?

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #3: Eroding Margins

Competition is more ferocious than you’ve ever seen in your career. Competitors are offering bargain-basement pricing just to keep clients. Which of your sales managers will be able to coach the salespeople to sell value and maintain margins? Who on your team is stuck…and wants to stay stuck?

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #4: Acquiring Another Company

The acquisition looked like a great strategic addition. However, consider the new selling challenges, you’re having doubts. You’re seeing gaps in the selling competencies of the newly acquired salespeople. And, the gaps have been widening. You’re nervous. You don’t have the time or money for a wait-and-see approach. How do you decide who’s going to stay and grow…and which territories would they be best suited for?

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #5: Changing go-to-market Strategy

You hired a group of new BDRs as you implemented a new go-to-market strategy.  Startup has been slow. Too slow. What do you need to do to get momentum and get the team on the growth path?

Sales Strategy Stuck Point #6: Adjusting Pricing Position 

The need for a consultative selling approach that provides concrete value to your clients is paramount. Yet, your sales team seems to be focused on the transactional deal they can close today. You’re losing valuable market share.  Who on your sales team has the capacity to shift gears? Or do you need an entirely new team?

What other situations are you facing that you would add to this list?

Whether it’s one of these Critical Sales Strategy Stuck Points or some other sales frustration, you’re seeking accurate insights. Insights that provide the much-needed clarity, so that you can move forward confidently in expanding your sales team’s capacity.

Strengthen your Sales Strategy with Accurate Insights

This is what we do. We have proven tools, processes, and resources that get you the needed clarity on your current sales capacity…and the clarity on how to move forward in your expansion/optimization plan. Start building the success mindsets in your sales teams that will energize them and expand their capacity:

• • Stimulate visionary, compelling growth plans
  • Spark strategic problem-solving
  • Strengthen Ownership
  • Spur action to reach goals
  • Source opportunities to serve

3 Questions to Maximize Sales Growth Expansion

Even if you’re not using our resources, or are using internal resources, consider these questions that my co-host of The Sales Fight of Your Business Life Roundtable, Hunter Byington, asks in a recent guest post, “How to Right-Size Your Sales Team to Maximize Recovery.”

• Are my salespeople suitable for the sales growth role I’m asking them to play? Many salespeople and sales managers were transferred into roles that just don’t fit. However, with the strength of the economy over the past five years, it didn’t matter. Now, it matters. How many people in your salesforce were put into situations where they were able to produce, but won’t fit now?
• Does my sales strategy include coaching my sales leaders and salespeople to succeed in this new normal, challenging sales environment? Overall, we find that only 39% of the sales force even come close in consultative sales skills. Now, with the current state of the economy, they will have to dig deeper than ever before into all aspects of the client’s business. And if they didn’t ask the right questions in the past, what makes you so sure they will do the deep-dive probing required to be successful in today’s climate?
• How do you tell who’s a good vs. mediocre vs. poor sales performer? Personal Bias is the number one reason companies lose good performers. In the last three economic downturns, many great salespeople were let go due to emotional ties, years in the industry, and even the nonsensical “last-in, first-out” approach. Look for real performers, just like you would choose a strong, trustworthy vehicle to navigate difficult and treacherous terrain.

Need Input on your Sales Growth Expansion and/or Optimization Options?

What are the challenges you’re facing which cause you to feel like you’re in The Sales Fight of Your Business Life?

Which path are your sales leaders, sales managers, sales team, and salespeople taking?

Stuck path?

Growth path?

As you begin checking out your sales expansion and/or optimization strategy options, feel free to reach out.

When you’re searching for a leadership development plan and/or a sales growth plan to get everyone on the Growth Path, let’s talk.

Let’s start with a Free Consultation Meeting where we talk through your sales strategy challenges. Based on that, we can decide if there’s a right fit, if there’s any reason for us to talk further. If yes, we can get on the path toward tackling your stuck points and your goals. If not, I’m confident that we will have a great action-oriented conversation. Either way, you’ll walk away with more clarity about moving forward and making good choices.

Remember: Your leadership matters now, more than ever!

Sales Growth Leadership Lesson:

Address your Critical Sales Strategy Stuck Points by getting accurate insights on energizing and expanding the capacity of your salesforce.

Sales Growth Leadership Question:

What are you doing to get clarity on your current sales strategy so that you make the right decisions to expand your capacity?