Direction – having the right insight Translation – having the right go-to-market model Competence – having an efficient set-up Execution – enabling the organisation
How to make your sales organisation outperform the market Four areas you should master
Sales excellence is essential to outperform the market Sales excellence is the art and science of selling specifying the set-up, people and process ‌
‌ enabling companies to outperform the market on sales growth and efficiency The Sales Excellence sweet spot
Mindset
Methods
Sales efficiency (sales over cost of sales)
Movement Sales growth rate (vs market growth rate) 2
Is there room for improvement? Strong sales performance requires delivering at sufficient level within four areas ‌
Idea
3
SALEX
D
Sales excellence
Direction
T Translation
C Competence
E Execution
Action
‌ on eight distinct best practice sales performance levers Direction
Translation
Do we have the right insight to ensure targeting of the most valuable opportunities?
Do we have the right go-to-market model to optimise our sales efforts?
XXX Sector
Competence
Decision criteria
XXX
Do we have an efficient set-up that enables the organisation to best target the identified sales priorities?
Commercial offering Channel
XXX XXX X-X X-X X-X X-X Size
1
Customer intelligence Creating transparency to guide sales priorities
3
Value proposition Reaping the revenue from unique propositions
5
Organisation and capabilities Ensuring a highly capable and well-organised team
2
Customer satisfaction Utilising customer feedback to identify new opportunities
4
Account and channel management Optimising the effect of the scarce sales resources
6
Performance management Managing sales actively, systematically and in a peopleoriented way
7
Sales toolbox Enabling sales via best-in-class tools and processes
8
Execution Creating organisational transformation through individual transformation Are we capable of actually following the desired direction?
4
Direction – having the right insight to ensure targeting of the most valuable opportunities Direction Levers 1
Customer intelligence Creating transparency to guide sales priorities
Sublevers
Examples of best practice
• Market and customer intelligence
• We continuously collect, analyse and distribute market and competitor intelligence across the organisation in aligned formats
• Customer needs
• We have an insightful, objective, researchable and operational segmentation model that explains customer needs and preferences
• Segmentation model • Value pockets
2
Customer satisfaction Utilising customer feedback to identify new opportunities
• Continuous collection of customer feedback • Mix of quantitative and qualitative feedback • Actionable outputs • Customer feedback linked to customer value drivers
5
• Our segmentation model is actively applied and maintained to identify value pockets and sales potential in the market
• We collect feedback on an ongoing basis from all customers, ensuring a fact-based data foundation for acting on opportunities within customer segments • We have processes in place for automatic compilation and distribution of feedback to relevant stakeholders in our organisation to promote swift reaction
Translation – having the right go-to-market model to optimise the effect of our sales efforts Translation Levers 3
Value proposition Reaping revenue from unique propositions
Sublevers
Examples of best practice
• Segment-based value propositions
• We have defined unique segment-based value propositions based on market intelligence tailored to meet the needs of each prioritised customer segment, enabling optimal value extraction
• Integration of pricing strategy in value proposition
• Our value propositions are defined and adjusted on an ongoing basis based on a quantitative assessment of customer value drivers
• Value-creation proof points • Packaging of value propositions
4
Account and channel management Optimising the effect of scarce sales resources
• Key account management • Channel optimisation • Go-to-market strategy • Resource management
• We have an efficient account and channel management set-up, optimising the time available to the sales force to serve the most attractive customers through relevant channels • We have a uniform and fully documented process for how to service customers in each phase of the sales process, i.e. specifying KSFs and responsibilities for each phase • We monitor our sales force's time distribution and seek to optimise scarce sales resources to be as visible and accessible to customers as possible
6
Competence – having an efficient set-up which enables the organisation to best target the identified sales priorities Competence Levers 5
Organisation and capabilities Ensuring a highly capable and well-organised team
Sublevers
Examples of best practice
• Organisation and sales force-sizing
• We have an organisation which is structured and sized based on current priorities. This makes it dynamic and enables adjustment to priorities and learning
• Sales capabilities • Sales culture, mindset and motivation
• We have a balanced and highly skilled sales team with low performance variation and which is highly motivated by performance transparency
• Recruitment of talent
6
Performance management Managing sales actively, systematically and in a people-oriented way
• Translation and cascading of objectives, targets and KPIs
• We have an extensive target-setting model in which all objectives are cascaded to individual levels with a high integration between business objectives and personal development plans
• Reporting and follow-up
• We have a reporting and follow-up model focused on coaching of individuals
• Incentive structures
7
Sales toolbox Enabling sales via best-inclass tools and processes
• Performance gap closure
• Incentives are set for both collective and individual performance, allowing a large variance in pay
• Sales strategy and strategic account planning
• Sales targets are supported by clear strategies, sales tools and processes that enable the sales force to provide customised solutions to customers
• Sales force automation tools and infrastructure
• Compliance is consistent through automated processes and a sales force that appreciates the importance of tracking the pipeline
• Pipeline management
7
Execution – the ability of the organisation to actually follow the desired direction Sublevers
Examples of best practice
• Leadership and followership • Transformation zone capabilities • Cross-functional and network capabilities • Programme monitoring and follow-up
• Our leaders have strong followership and are highly recognised for their ability to move individuals while creating results • They are driven by shared targets and aspirations and navigate effectively across functions promoting co-operation • We have structured the strategy programme office with capabilities and follow-up processes ensuring constant focus on prioritisation of initiatives, progress and strategy gap closure actions
8
Execution
Based on an assessment of your sales organisation vis-à -vis the eight best practice sales performance levers ‌ 1
Understand your sales organisation’s strengths and gaps to high performance*
Customer satisfaction Utilising customer feedback to identify new opportunities
Customer intelligence 1
Execution
Sales toolbox
8
2
7
Performance management
4
5
Organisation and capabilities * Conducted by Quartz+Co 9
Customer satisfaction
3
6
Customer intelligence Creating transparency to guide sales priorities
Value proposition
Account and channel management
1
2
Value proposition Reaping the revenue from unique propositions
3
Account and channel management Optimising the effect of the scarce sales resources
4
Organisation and capabilities Ensuring a highly capable and well-organised team
5
Performance management Managing sales actively, systematically and peopleoriented
6
Sales toolbox Enabling sales via best-in-class tools and processes
7
Execution Creating organisational transformation through individual transformation
8
DISGUISED CLIENT EXAMPLE
‌ Quartz+Co can assist your sales organisation in defining the value potential and right efforts in order to outperform the market Next steps 2
10
Understand the untapped revenue potential
3
Prioritise efforts needed based on assessment pointers
4
Mobilise and engage to execute