3 Ways to Help Your Sales Team Sell Smarter

When it comes to leading and measuring solution selling teams, too many sales managers place too much weight on quantity.  Their assumption is that more time and increased effort on the part of their sales team will result in greater solution-based revenue. Not necessarily so! 

Not unless your reps are crystal clear on how and where to spend their time most effectively and unless they have the right solution selling training competencies to be successful in your specific marketplace, with your unique offerings for your target clients.

Here is what you, as a sales leaders and manager, can do to set up your sales reps to sell solutions smarter:

• Be clear about priorities.Time allocation is critical. Make sure your sales team is spending time on target accounts that have the greatest potential for short-term return and/or long-term loyalty. One way to do this is to identify your “sweet spot” target clients…those where your offerings and unique value proposition are most valued. Give your sales reps clear guidelines on how to identify high-potential prospects so they invest their time wisely and put less time and effort into working with their existing customers with whom they already have positive relationships. Let them know which accounts have priority and hold them accountable. This is the “smart” way to have them spend their time.
  
  
• Provide adequate resources.Make sure your sales reps have the means to research their customers so they are “smart” when they meet with them.  They should get to know their prime customers’ needs, wants, industry, marketplace and most pressing issues. It is your responsibility, too, to ensure that they are not wasting time on non-productive administrative tasks or at meetings. There should be a division of labor that allows them to focus on selling complex solutions…that’s what they do best. And then be sure they have a simple way to track their client interactions and follow up in a consistent and compelling way.
  
  
• Be sure your team has the right sales competencies.Your sales reps need the solution selling skills and knowledge required to be successful at selling your differentiated offerings to your specific market. Once your sales strategy, culture and processes are clear, implement proven solution selling training methods and techniques. Your reps will learn how to sell at the highest required levels of an organization and meaningfully link their solution to the critical needs of the customer, their top priorities, and their critical projects. Back up the business sales training with ongoing performance sales coaching to see that the new selling behaviors are actually practiced and rewarded on the job.

With efficient and effective allocation of their time, with sufficient resources, and with the required competencies, your sales reps will sell smarter and maximize their potential.

Learn more at http://www.lsaglobal.com/solution-selling-training/