Five Tips to Inspire Your Sales Force to Success

By Patricia Gardner

Whether you're blessed with a motivated, well-adjusted sales force already meeting or exceeding its goals or you're mired in a slump, with disappointing quarterlies and unhappy reps, the "code-breaker" approach outlined here provides a more efficient, more productive way of doing things. After all, who couldn't benefit from an extra 5% on top of already big numbers?

The most efficient strategy for getting a sales team, or an individual, to move up to the next level is through the "code-breaker" approach. To get into the Fortune 100 companies, your salespeople will have to team up with influential people or "code-breakers," who will introduce them to their clients in exchange for the same. If your team adopts the "code-breaker" approach, there is no reason they can't routinely close million-dollar deals in two sales calls.

The challenge for experienced sales teams has always been how to get into the CEO's office at a major corporation so they can make their pitch. The team knows what to do when they get there; they just can't get in the door. "Code-breakers" unlock the door and welcome them into a world of multi-million dollar deals and fruitful partnerships. They will make your team more productive and more effective and increase revenue. In turn, salespeople will have more time and less stress, a benefit to everyone in your company.

The two distinguishing elements of the "code-breaker" approach are preparation and teamwork. These "Five Tips to Sales Force Success" will explain the approach:

1. Preparation time is crucial
Too often, sales reps aren't given enough—or any—time to research new accounts or even their own product lines, which results in flawed presentations and wasted opportunities. When hiring a new rep or transferring someone to a new product or vertical market, build in a couple of weeks of pure learning time. If you're selling tangible goods or hardware and software, encourage the rep to put the product through its paces and talk to members of the design and service staffs. If you're a consulting or service organization, try to arrange interviews with satisfied clients. They'll give the rep an unvarnished view of what your company was able to accomplish for them.

2. Be results-oriented, not process-oriented
After the rep has learned the ropes and is out selling, recognize that certain clients and projects may require additional prep time. The "code-breaker" approach is more results-oriented than process-oriented. It's not about initiating contact with a certain number of prospects every week, but about going after the contacts most likely to result in big new business. This may upset the established order in your shop, but it's worth the effort. Instead of saying, "How many sales did you get today?" ask "How many 'code-breakers' did you meet today?"

3. Emphasize and reward teamwork
Developing a teamwork ethic may be a challenge, especially if competition has been the main motivator for your staff. You've got to lower the barriers between sales and other departments. Engineers may not be salespeople, but some of them may be able to sell a certain aspect of your product better than a team of the slickest reps. Encourage their supervisors to let them come along to client meetings when the stakes are high. Give senior people responsibility for junior reps; make a portion of their bonuses dependent on proving that they've helped open a certain number of doors.

4. Turn your team into "Code-breakers"
You can start using the "code-breaker" approach with just one of your reps, although I suggest that you try it with two or three to increase cross-selling opportunities. These methods are addictive, and once some of the staff is up to speed, the possibilities will start coming from everywhere. Say a rep develops a "code-breaker" who has access to channels outside of the rep's core area. Why wouldn't you want to have another team member ready to step in and keep the opportunity alive?

5. Show your appreciation
Initiate a formal compensation plan for "code-breakers" both inside and outside your company. "Code-breakers" can open the doors to literally millions of dollars of business. Reward them not only with reciprocal business opportunities, but with financial incentives as well. Isn't a million-dollar deal worth a $5,000 or $10,000 finder's fee? It may not be the way things have been done in the past, but it just makes good business sense.

These five tips are crucial to developing a sales team that will take their experience and put it to use. Sales managers must be team-oriented and meet their employees' needs or risk ruining the team spirit and ambition. They must be responsible for keeping the team on task, boosting their productivity, raising their morale and pushing profits up.

It's important to use every tool available to inspire the troops, but it doesn't have to be difficult. The "code-breakers" approach is designed to simplify sales for everyone involved, but it's not for rookies. If you have a team that's up to the task and is looking for a challenge, these five tips will help them close huge deals and rally the team. Concentrate on preparing your team and building their interdependence through these five tips and your rewards will be priceless.

These AMA seminars will help you increase the effectiveness of your sales force:

• Selling to Major Accounts: A Strategic Approach
  
• Coaching Your Sales Team
  
• Selling to Senior Executives, Level 3
  

Author Bio: Patricia Gardner is president of Maximum Sales, a consulting firm. Her new book, Code-breakers: How to Close a Million Dollar Deal in Two Sales Calls, is designed to help sales professionals learn the five secrets of strategic sales. Contact her at www.maximumsales.com or call 215-750-7733.