Complacency will be the downfall of any sales team. Unfortunately, countless organizations fall into the trappings of habit and comfort that eventually result in stagnation. Client demands and preferences generally aren’t written in stone, and you need to have high performing salespeople who are competent in the art of adaptation. That means they can adjust their sales pitches, strengthen client relationships, and manage their resources for any given situation. In this way, you can establish a culture of growth within your organization to remain in a position of strength in your given industry. Here are several steps that you can take to get there:
1. Manage Your Time Effectively
According to Human Resources Journal, roughly 40 percent of the tasks and activities we carry out on any given day are completed out of sheer habit. Much of this culminates in what we commonly refer to as busy work. Salesforce highlighted the fact that many sales managers view productivity from the perspective that a higher volume of calls following up with leads will generate higher sales. However, this strategy doesn’t always result in the outcome you’re looking for because not all leads have been thoroughly qualified. The result? Your sales team is left spinning its wheels performing time-consuming work that doesn’t translate into new clients. Instead, invest in resources and time management strategies that allow your team to focus on sales growth and to understand your clients’ needs. Focus on their personal and business needs, and investigate the relationship between their financial risk and return.
2. Exercise Your Brain
Oftentimes, we get stuck in a particular way of thinking that doesn’t challenge our way of thinking. When this happens, it becomes much more difficult to innovate and think creatively. When approaching sales prospects, a dulled brain won’t be able to handle obstacles that may arise. By working to understand different sales philosophies and strategies, your sales team will be able to recognize which approaches tend not to work and which ones do. This requires creativity, self-reflection, analysis and research – all of which will strengthen your brain.
3. Embrace Challenges
You must tackle head on the things that you fear in order to grow. As a rule, habit is rooted in a sense of comfort, and challenging these deeply-engrained tendencies can create a sense of dread in sales managers with the stoutest of hearts. Instead of working off a list of leads someone else developed, blaze your own path and create a qualified list that may be riskier but potentially more rewarding.
