Are Your Sales Low Because of Your People or Your Processes?

You know your sales numbers are not where they should be. 

But is it a problem with your sale staff? Or is an inefficient sales process dragging down your staff’s performance?

There is no cure-all answer that will instantly unclog your funnel or suddenly send your team into a sales frenzy. However, there are some telltale signs that point to some very common issues.

To help you try to isolate the problem, here are a few of the most common issues you may be struggling with.

1. Your Conversion Rates are Low 

This is clearly the most common and frustrating issue that any sales department is going to face. The biggest challenge is that the problem could be any number of issues with your people or your processes.

Consider bringing in an outside company to audit and review both your people and your processes. A firm that specializes in sales effectiveness training can help you optimize your sales team’s workflow and get your conversion rates back to where you need them to be.

2. Your Leads are ‘Slipping Through the Cracks’ 

It’s estimated that 30-50% of buyers will go with the first vendor to follow up with them. So, having leads slip through your fingers is a huge waste of an opportunity.

This could be a person-problem or a process-problem.

It is possible that sales staffers are simply not following up with prospects in a timely fashion because they’re not managing their own time well. Consider time management coaching, and showing them how to be productive instead of being busy.

However, their time management struggles could be a symptom of a sales process problem. The average salesperson today only spends about a third of their time doing any actual selling. 

You might consider a CRM or automation program to manage your pipeline, and take time-consuming tasks off of their plates.

Your Prospects are Putting You Off

Are a lot of your sales calls ending with, “That’s interesting. Call me again in 6 months.” 

This points to a lack of urgency from your leads.

From a people perspective, this could mean that you need to coach your staff on how to ensure that a would-be lead actually meets your ideal customer profile (ICP).

However, on the process side, it’s possible that your ICP itself needs to be revisited. Maybe shifts in the marketplace mean that your ideal customer has changed. This could mean that your previously-qualified leads are now actually just shy of being qualified, which causes your sales to fall tantalizingly short.

Selling a Vitamin Instead of a Cure

Or, there could be a third “P” problem. Your positioning could be off. It’s possible that your leads are seeing your offering as a vitamin instead of a cure. 

A vitamin is something you know could help your pain, but it’s too easy to put it off. Whereas a cure is a cure, and you need it right now.

As you can see, a lot of process-problems can cause people-problems, and vice versa. Never assume that your sales are low because of one reason or the other.
Always try to step back and look at the real reason your team is letting you down. Maybe your system is letting them down.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/business/are-your-sales-low-because-of-your-people-or-your-processes/