Every sales professional has learned at least one – and probably at least three or four – standardized sales process systems. Some of them are widely promoted and utilized, and go by names like SPIN Selling or Solution Selling or Strategic Selling. Others are highly customized, proprietary programs developed in-house by an organization’s sales executives in an attempt to better align the efforts of the sales team with the unique challenges and goals they face in their markets or sales cycles. No matter where they come from or what they look like, they all exist to fulfill the same purpose, which is to define how sales reps will approach, qualify, work with and close their customers.
However, all these sales processes carry the same potential pitfall; they can become so cumbersome and complex that they can actually inhibit the sales rep’s ability to do their job, which is to close business and drive revenue.
You are no doubt familiar with sales process maps – those rambling flow charts with little boxes connected by squiggly lines, each one defining a step or a responsibility that sales reps must accomplish along the way to closing a sale. Some of these process maps are so intricate you feel like you are reading the schematics for the next secret NASA project; others are more like works of art, with creative shapes and colors and stylized arrows that seek to inspire as well as educate the sales rep. Obviously, someone has put a lot of thought and effort into creating these processes and the maps that support them. If only they were half as effective as they were complicated.
The truth is that over thinking and over mapping the sales process can lead to overlooking some important, simple principles. Here are four common mistakes in over-engineered sales processes:
1. Too many steps.
Sales managers might think that more steps means greater clarity, but micromanaging a sales process can only lead to problems. For one thing, sales representatives resent being told how to think and what to say; it can quash creativity and lead to “paralysis of analysis” in which sales representatives begin to feel like they are trapped in a maze with no way out. A good sales process should have clear goals and strategies for each stage, but leave enough flexibility for the sales professional to use their own good judgment to develop the opportunity.
2. Focus on the representative instead of the customer.
This is perhaps the number one mistake made by all sales representatives and sales organizations – thinking too much about pushing products and closing deals. If the sales process is simply a set of scripted steps designed to outmaneuver the customer and convince them to buy something, the process is doomed to be mediocre at best. The heart of any sales process should be focused on understanding the needs and goals of the customer so the sales professional can craft solutions that offer real value that the customer will recognize and appreciate. The sales process must leave room for the sales professional to ask questions, listen, improvise and come into alignment with the customer. This is something that is hard to capture on a flow chart.
3. Too much focus on exotic ideals and activities that don’t seem to have a clear connection to helping drive revenue.
Let’s be clear one more time; sales representatives only care about one thing – closing quota and making money. Anything that creates more work for them without making more money for them will only lead to resentment, frustration and avoidance. For instance, high-minded language like “engage and nurture the relationship network” sounds important, and it might even be important, but what does it really mean, how is it measured, and why is it important? Will this step really drive revenue? How soon and how much? Don’t make your sales team guess when it comes to the sales process. The sales process must clearly point to the pot of gold at the end of the process, and the easier it is to understand and apply, the happier and more effective sales professionals will be.
Some sales organizations invest heavily in CRM systems or customized sales training programs, under the assumption that the more complicated and expensive the system is, the better it is. Sadly, they do this without taking the time to consult with sales team members or assessing the culture and processes they are accustomed to following already. When this happens, sales professionals push back, procrastinate, and ultimately underperform, because they don’t feel comfortable or confident in the new system. Whatever you do, make sure the sales team members have input into the process, and that they clearly understand both what they are supposed to do and why there are supposed to do it.
We have tried to emphasize from the beginning of this series that sales representatives need to have some structure so they will know what is expected of them, when it is expected, and how it will be measured. However, this can all be accomplished without having to consult a rocket scientist. When all is said and done, a sales professional has to effectively execute a basic set of steps when interacting with customers.
Set Direction: Gain the customers interest and build rapport
Problem Clarification: Ask good questions and listen carefully as the customer reveals what he is ready to buy.
Offer Options: Clarify what you have heard the customer say, and suggest generic solution possibilities
Recommend Solutions: Present a specific solution based on your capabilities
Test for Agreement: Confirm that the customer is on board with the recommended solution, close the deal and determine next steps
See how simple and easy to understand that is? Once you have added a cadence and spelled out the verifiable outcomes and metrics for this process, you are more than 80 to 90% complete. The sales representative knows what he is supposed to do and the sales managers knows when and what to measure and coach. A sales process that adds too many sub-layers or complexities is likely to waste time and energy while creating resistance and frustration on the front lines.
Have you deployed a clear, easy to follow and easy to manage sales process with your sales team? Where does it need refining or reworking in light of the above?
Does your team fully support the present sales process, and do they feel it provides them with the direction and support they need to close quota and drive revenue? If not, do you know where they would like changes to be made? Have you asked them?
Make time during the next sales meeting to discuss these questions, and also use these questions as a basis for discussing coaching issues during your next set of coaching appointments with team members.
Walter Rogers is the Chairman of Baker Communications. Baker Communications is a sales training and development company specializing in helping client companies increase their sales and management effectiveness. He can be reached at 713-627-7700.
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