Many sales leaders are working with sales planning tools that are cumbersome and ineffective. They’re spending valuable time spinning their wheels while they try to get their reps to accurately forecast revenue.
This is their reality. It may be yours too.
For many sales leaders, their typical territory is a complicated map of managers, departments, processes and plans. Inside every territory, there are Account Managers, SEs, and Services all actively working together to manage the business. When it comes to successful sales planning, a repeatable rhythm separates highly effective managers from the low performers.
Top sales organizations have a cadence and accountability around their sales process. That accountability is a key component to successful pipeline management. Your employees will be more successful if they know what’s expected, and there is an accurate way to measure those expectations. Aberdeen Group’s Business Process Management Report shows that best-in-class companies are more likely to have a process to drive accountability. They develop key performance indicators that demonstrate how reps are maximizing value from their assigned territories.
Think of how your organization conducts territory, account, opportunity and forecast reviews.
- What guidelines do you provide your reps to assist them in focusing their time on the right opportunities?
- What best practices do you have in place for coaching your reps on building pipeline?
- How does your sales organization distinguish between pipeline building, pipeline management and opportunity management?
How much time are you wasting by not having a consistent way to (1) conduct these reviews and (2) to measure the key metrics in each critical area. Think of the end game. With the right tools and processes, your sales organization will have the ability to develop territory, account and opportunity plans that build pipeline and enable accurate revenue forecasts. The result?
- Higher quota attainment
- Healthier pipelines
- More cross-sells and up-sells
- Improved territory and account coverage
- Improved forecasting accuracy
Define the steps you want your managers to take when it comes to territory, account, opportunity and forecast reviews. Develop an operating rhythm around your sales planning. For a quick checklist on how to develop an operating rhythm around your sales planning, download our Sales Leader Action Guide.
