Are you serious about reducing sales costs in your company? If you have been searching for tips and books on the subject, don’t bother. I searched to see if there had been a sales murder mystery. It’s true, and I didn’t find one. There are countless books on improving sales performance. And almost everyone knows how to do it. I decided to do some research on my own to discover the top 10 methods to kill your sales team’s performance. Let me tell you the truth.
Killer Tip #1 – Don’t make the fatal mistake of setting specific, measurable sales goals for anyone on your sales team
Here’s how to cover up if you have been convicted of that crime. It’s not necessary to communicate the crime, nor get buy-in or write it down. If salespeople insist on it, take out a number that seems incredulous, and tell them it’s just a stretch goal to keep them on their toes.
Tip #2: Never pretend to have the upper hand or know more about THEM.
It doesn’t matter if you get down to earth and teach your team how to do something, strategize, or give them tools. This is just “book talk” for the millions of sales gurus. If you let your team just do their thing, they will perform better. Give them clear deadlines so they can’t escape, and let them know that you are in charge.
Tip #3: Get in the trenches and work with your sales team to get out of trouble
They are grown-ups, and they can live without pep talks. They want three things from you in weekly sales meetings: a detailed, minute-by-minute account of sales activity; b) the math behind their conversion numbers; c) how many Nos they will need to accept rejection.
Tip #4: Make them believe in the power and potential of the human brain
Scientists around the globe have shown that even the most powerful computer can’t match the enormous potential of the human brain. We only use 10% of the brain’s hard drive. This is plenty of space for keeping track of prospects, clients, and pipelines. You don’t need expensive CRMs to bog down your team. If your team is unable to deal with instant data retrieval, then get them to set up multiple spreadsheets and a paper piling system at their desk.
Tip #5: Make the sales process completely mysterious
Your salespeople should do the figuring. They have to make their commission. A survivor is someone who can get through all the hoops and still does their job. If sales were so easy, everyone would be doing it.
Killer Tip #6: Don’t listen to all the hocus-pocus.
Product training, sales training, checklists, etc. To increase the average dollar sale. It’s a trap. A set-up to get your team more deals. Avoid making this mistake.
Killer Tip #7 – Free your sales team of the constraints of estimates
Let their creativity flow. Let them work out the numbers that will get a customer to agree to your offer. They can go above and beyond: discounts, price wars, or fee waivers—360-day credit terms.
Tip #8: Let your team know that you are thankful
Never acknowledge that a sales rep has been hired, especially not in a team meeting. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Instead, remind them to keep their eyes on the stretch goal. You need to remind them to think about the next big prospect and when and how they’ll be able to land a new client.
Killer Tip #9 – Work hard to achieve your goals
Encourage your team to embrace the idea of working hard for customers. Encourage them to not contact customers they haven’t spoken to in years or to thank them for their business. It is a waste of time. They already know you! Your customers know you and will return. The sales team should be looking for new hot leads.
Killer Tip #10 – What do I do next?
Suppose you are already using these. Congratulations! You can choose 2 to apply next week if you are not. You can’t wait for anything to happen.
All the best to you in your endeavors. If any of these methods sound a little rusty to you, don’t worry. There’s always another way. Let me know about your situation so we can create one for you and your team.
