A sales program sets clear objectives for sales teams and discusses the techniques, strategies and tools that are used throughout the sales process. It also outlines the process that is used in prospecting and the process through the buyer’s journey. The following is a review of how to develop a successful sales program.
Step 1: Establish The Goals For Your Sales Program
Establishing goals reminds sales professionals what they are working towards each day and allows sales teams to assess their strategy and performance. Goals vary for each sales team; however, several more common goals every sales team should have with their sales program include:
- Have an understanding of the company’s goals
- Offer strategic direction of the sales process
- Identify roles and responsibility for each member
- Track and monitor sales team progress
The goals of a successful sales program should be measurable and provide value to each sales professional. Every decision made when developing a sales program should work towards meeting the sales program goals.
Step 2: Decide Which Internal Factors Are Most Important
Internal factors are parts of a company that defines who they are and refers to the strengths and weaknesses of a company. Defining and assessing those factors are the foundation to developing a successful sales program. The three main factors are finance, labor and technology.
- Budget/Finance – This includes sales training, paying for reliable customer relationship management (CRM) and salary for employees.
- Labor (the team) – Identifying each member’s role, job title and individual goals.
- Technology – Utilizing sales technology properly successfully identifies prospects and guides prospects through the buyer’s journey.
Internal factors also refer to the values and beliefs of the company and within the sales department. Identifying the status and health of a sales culture, and looking for strengths and areas of improvement, set the foundation for developing a sales program.
Step 3: Establish Your Target or Ideal Customer
Finding potential customers that are likely to purchase is essential. A successful sales team knows how to ask themselves who is buying their product or service and how they can best find prospective customers that are the most likely to purchase. A successful sales program utilizes sales technology and other methods to determine how to pitch their target or ideal customer. This includes customer segmentation, breaking the ideal customer into different subgroups to increase the overall conversion rate.
Developing a sales program should include understanding what each subgroup does and what they value, which helps sales professionals guide prospects through each stage of the buyer’s journey. Determining the company’s value proposition is also an important step of developing a sales program. To do so, ask what separates your company from competitors and why you are the best choice for helping the prospective client or customer.
Step 4: Leverage Tools and Technology
According to the 2020 State of Sales Report by LinkedIn, 43% of salespeople say they use sales intelligence tools, a 54% increase compared with 2018. There are many examples of these sales tools that a business may benefit from. For example, a customer relationship management (CRM) platform is an essential component of a successful sales program. It gives sales professionals full access to prospect and client information so that they can effectively pitch the company’s proposition. This is of course just one example of many possible uses of technology within a sales program.
Another example of the utilization of technology in sales is email automation. 8 in 10 prospects prefer talking to reps over email, which matches up with the percentage of reps (78%) who use it. Email and marketing automation helps sales professionals be more efficient and effective in the sales process. A successful sales program includes interacting with other departments, including the internet technology (IT) department. They help sales professionals learn how to use certain online applications and other forms of digital tools and technology to improve the plan overall.
Step 5: Create a System for Effective Sales Operations
A successful plan clearly outlines sales goals and has a plan of action to achieve team goals. This way team members know how to approach each day with confidence. It also shows when sales performance is not at the optimal level and highlights areas of improvement.
Every sales team’s goals are unique; however, most base them on revenue targets. This provides a broader view of how successful it is, but it does not show the whole picture. In addition, a successful plan sets prospecting goals, meets deadlines and interacts consistently with other departments.
Step 6: Implement Faithfully And Successfully
A sales program is completed with successful implementation. Sales professionals should feel confident when carrying out the sales process. They should have the skills necessary to utilize technology effectively and communicate with others to optimize their ability to convert. A sales program provides the needed confidence by giving sales professionals a process and plan to follow. It should also include tracking and monitoring sales performance, which allows weak spots to be identified and fixed promptly.
Contact The Sales Program Professionals At RCG Workgroup
Here at RCG Workgroup, we take pride in teaching our clients how to improve their sales culture, operations and performance. We also offer sales services, including sales training to ensure your company finds the best sales methods. Speak with a member of our team today to get the process to improved sales performance started.
