Recession-Proof Your Sales Team

Everyone from media pundits to school teachers to my mail delivery person is talking about the bad economy. There is, however, a silver lining for Sales Managers and business owners – great salespeople are now available! In tough economic conditions, great salespeople are either getting cut loose (no fault of their own) or they see this as an opportunity to get a better job with a more stable company.

As a Sales Manager, you can benefit greatly from the downturn in the economy by retooling your sales team. Got some non-performers? You may need to replace them and now is an excellent time to do so. Replacing them with premium sales talent is exactly what you need to sell you way through an economy like ours.

Here are a few things to consider as you look to recession-proof your sales team:

• Define your Expectations Clearly – You cannot attract a solid salesperson without letting them fully understand the performance standards by which they will succeed or fail. Salespeople want and need to know what it means to be successful in any economic season, but especially now. Some recommendations are: How many calls should I make each week? What existing accounts will I inherit, if any? What is the ramp up period before I am responsible for full quota, if any?

• Use a Sales Assessment Tool to Aid in Selection – When you hang out your sign saying “Salespeople Wanted” you’re sure to get plenty of applicants – all of whom are ready and willing to be the “perfect person” for you. In short, they literally say or do anything to get the job. Although I respect your intuitive insight into people, you need some help here, because salespeople are the best at, well, selling themselves. You want to be sure that they have the capacity for resilience, increases in customer demands and a wildly fluctuating marketplace. In addition, the ability to connect with a wide variety of people and their emotions about their businesses is critical. Many business owners and chief executives are fearful of making commitments at this time. You need sales professionals with the capacities to perform under pressure. Our Sales Champion Battery ™ pre-screening sales assessment goes way beyond a conventional personality test to determine a sales candidate’s true capacity to perform on many levels – one’s you can’t see in an interview or on a résumé.

• Get New Salespeople Up to Speed Quickly – Using the marketplace intelligence from your existing salespeople is crucial to help your new salespeople get up to speed. Accelerate their training by providing them with information to guide their efforts such as: What the top five objections prospects have right now – and how to deal with them. What the best prospecting/networking strategies they can implement immediately for quick results. What the specific characteristics of a qualified prospect are and the ideal customer profile so they won’t waste their time on organizations that bring little or no value to your company. Finally, what is the price point “zone” by which they should operate? In short, what is a deal that’s too small and what is one that is too big? Some salespeople have a tendency to go after the little deals because they think it’s easier (when it’s not). On the other hand, they may try to land a big deal which requires too much time and effort which robs them of good prospecting time with realistic sales opportunities. As a result, time is wasted and there is usually no Return on Investment for you or your organization.

Keep these three strategies in mind as you work to improve the performance of your sales team. Stay focused on what you can control. In this case, getting the best salespeople on your team is the bedrock to your success in such a challenging economy… and your survival.

About the Author

Barrett Riddleberger is an internationally recognized leader in the practice of sales assessment, sales training, sales recruitment and sales consulting. His book, “Blueprint of a Sales Champion,” details how organizations can find, train and retain top performing salespeople… even in a highly competitive market. An accomplished author and sales consultant, Riddleberger is also highly in demand as a business development and motivational speaker for organizations seeking to drive their sales force to greater levels of performance. For more info go to www.ResolutionSystemsInc.com or www.BlueprintOfASalesChampion.com or call 866.880.5175.