(By Loyd Ford) If you manage sellers, the job is to motivate sellers, help make their jobs easier, and pump up their time spent selling. We talk about time spent selling a lot because it is at the super core of revenue lift.
Often this seems difficult or an afterthought because all of us are so busy. We forget that layers that often get put in place in any operations with meetings, memos, and busy work that take our sellers away from putting more presentations in front of potential clients.
If you really want to improve your sales, you are encouraged to look at the processes involving your sellers every single week and every day. How much of their time is spent doing other things other than direct selling?
Time Spent Selling
Increasing their time spent selling should be a significant and constant goal for managers.
Increasing the time sellers spend on actual selling activities is critical for improving sales productivity and driving revenue growth. Here are a few strategies that can help you achieve this:
- Automate repetitive tasks. Identify tasks that can be automated, such as data entry, lead qualification, and report generation. Implement sales automation tools and CRM systems to streamline these processes, freeing up more time for direct selling.
- Provide comprehensive training. Make sure your sales team is well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to handle their responsibilities efficiently. This reduces the time spent searching for information or solutions to common problems.
- Effective time management. Encourage sellers to prioritize their tasks and allocate specific time for selling activities. Focus their attention on growing these specific skills.
- Reduce administrative burden. This is a big one. Minimize administrative tasks that take important time away from selling. Assign dedicated support staff if you can or utilize administrative tools to handle paperwork, scheduling and other non-selling activities.
- Set clear goals and metrics. Establish clear, measurable sales goals and key performance indicators (the things that lead to more sales). This helps sellers focus on what matters most and stay motivated to spend more time on actual selling activities.
- Effective use of technology. Equip your sales team with the right technology, such as the latest mobile devices and sales enablement tools, to access information and resources on the go. This makes certain they can make the most of any downtime while traveling or waiting for meetings.
- Regular performance reviews. Conduct regular performance reviews to identify areas where sellers might be spending too much time or not enough time.
- Incentives and rewards. This is critical. Create a sales culture that rewards and recognizes top performers in front of other staff. Incentives, bonuses and competitions can motivate sellers to maximize their selling time.
- Continuous improvement. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement. Sellers should regularly assess their processes and identify opportunities to become more efficient and effective and management should reward this behavior in front of others.
- Collaboration and communication. Foster collaboration within your sales team and with other departments such as marketing or customer support. Effective rapid communication and coordination and reduce time wasted on misunderstandings or duplicate efforts.
- Market segmentation. Segment your market and tailor your sales approach to each segment. This allows sellers to focus on specific customer needs and close deals more efficiently.
- Sales playbooks. Develop and provide sales playbooks that guide sellers through the entire sales process. These playbooks can help standardize approaches and reduce time spend on figuring out next steps.
- Feedback and coaching. Offer regular constructive and encouraging feedback and coaching to help sellers improve their sales techniques and efficiency.
- Work-life balance. Encourage your sales team to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Burnout can kill productivity, so encourage them to take breaks and recharge.
The job of great sales managers and market managers certainly includes making it easier for sellers to do their job and helping them to become more focused on the activities that lead them to higher incomes and larger sales numbers. The culture is set by the manager and increasing time spent selling takes a combination of strategic planning, process optimization, and a supportive organizational culture.
2024 is coming and you’ll need every bit of help you can give your sellers to achieve higher goals.
Loyd Ford is president and chief strategic officer at Rainmaker Pathway Consulting Works (RPC). They help local radio with ratings and revenue. Reach him anytime at 864.448.4169 or [email protected]. Read Loyd’s Radio Ink archives here.
