top 10 practices of successful selling organizations

Top 10 Characteristics of Successful Selling Organizations & Sales Management Best Practices

The Center for Business Performance SolutionsWCTC

Sales Management Breakfast3.22.2013

Sales Management

• What is it?

• Why do you need it?

• How do you develop it?

• How do you make it part of the culture?

Top 10 Characteristics of Successful Selling Organizations

1. Have a Vision/Organizational Alignment

2. Market Oriented/Customer Focused

3. Culture of Continuous Improvement and Learning

4. Operate Under a Sense of Urgency

5. Process Driven

Top 10 Characteristics of Successful Selling Organizations

6. Superior People

7. Results Focused

8. Can Measure Success

9. Reward Success

10.Have Strong Sales Leadership/Sales Management Function

1. Have a vision/ Organizational Alignment

• Know what you want to be and where you want to go

• Never satisfied • Agility• Have a publicized goal - BHAG

2. Market Oriented/Customer Focused

• Know their “Ideal Client”• The customer is King• Aligned on the customer like a LEAN

manufacturing process• Outstanding marketing content

− Client-Centric− Multiple Channels− Communication

3. Culture of Continuous Improvement and Learning

• Make improvements over time at all levels• Realize improvement is not a cost• Culture of innovation • Bottom up solutions

4. Operate Under a Sense of Urgency

• Shorter sales cycles • Custom solutions• Offensively strong and defensively strong• Eliminate constraints for the sales force

5. Process Driven

• Defined Processes and Systems • Clearly define how a customer goes

from A to Z• Flawless execution • Coach to the system/process• Accountability

6. Superior People

• Hire right for the right traits − Can teach products and skills − Can’t teach enthusiasm or drive• Treat people as the end• Give the people the tools they need• Invest in them

7. Results Focused

• Tangible results are still a primary objective of any company

• Success comes from execution at all stages• Successful funnel management

− Volume and Velocity• KPI’s – Leading indicators

8. Can Measure Success

• Sales and profits do matter • How you get them matters• Professional sports teams analogy• Utilize business intelligence• Consistency/rhythm/cadence

9. Reward Success

• Celebrate success

• Pay for performance

• Give everyone skin in the game

• Open book management

10. Have Strong Sales Leadership/ Sales Management Function

• Leader

• Business Manager

• Coach

• Recruiter

• Trainer

Top 10 characteristics of a successful sales management function

1. Has a seat at the table to help craft the vision

2. Is the voice of the customer and the sales team throughout the organization − cross functional

3. Is always looking for a better way of doing things to get better results

4. Knows how to prioritize and motivate others

5. Has a methodical approach to the market – able to direct resources

Top 10 characteristics of a successful sales management function

6. Wants to win

7. Can build a team – Coach – Make tough decisions

8. Uses data to guide decisions – objectivity

9. Not afraid to give credit to others

10.Sells more through the team than they can on their own

Peter C. Rathmann, MBAPresident

262-442-0896 | peter@salestechnik.comwww.salestechnik.com