According to a research study by IDC, more than one-third of weekly selling time is lost due to poor sales enablement. According to the study, inside sales representatives spend 26% of their week on administrative tasks and another 36% searching for marketing materials, prospect/customer-related information, and creating sales presentations. This hints that integrating systems with applications that provide more transparency and a 360-degree view can prove powerful in improving productivity. Below are a few tips for maximizing accountability and the potential of an inside sales team.
Performance metrics identify coaching opportunities
Tracking key performance metrics is imperative for any sales leader to assess monthly progress and quarterly results. These measurements support qualitative and quantitative goal calculations to locate areas of needed improvement. Metrics will also provide data for training and coaching purposes. For example, suppose the data reveals that a sales representative is creating many conversations but not converting opportunities to outcomes. In that case, they may listen to live or post-call conversations to uncover deficiencies in building rapport, the ability to ask probing or qualifying questions, and their overall capacity to communicate the offering in a persuasive and concise manner.
Investigate through surveys
Post-sale surveys are an excellent way to understand how a contract was won, competitive opportunities or challenges, quality of support, and much more. These surveys can provide a thorough insight into the sales team’s performance and areas to focus on to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. Aligning the sales team with survey results will improve close ratios by better understanding why decisions were made to purchase the product or service.
Gamification improves productivity
Adding gamification elements to the CRM and other sales applications not only motivates the sales team but enhances productivity by an average of 42%. Sophisticated gamification tools promote competition among the sales team and foster greater performance. These gamified applications use different scenarios and game theories to reduce monotony, encourage collaboration, and reinforce productive behavior.
Sales acceleration apps
In most industries, it takes sales representatives several months and even years to reach their full potential. Sales acceleration software can track daily, weekly, and monthly results to ensure productivity during this extensive training period. These applications, which can be integrated with several CRMs, will not only provide needed transparency and coaching opportunities but dramatically reduce sales administrative tasks allowing the team to focus on revenue-producing activities to ultimately drive speed and certainty in the sales cycle.