07 KEYS TO ASUCCESSFULSALES TRANS-FORMATION

The companies that survive the tumult of change

are those that stay agile. Successful companies typ-

ically employ a variety of different strategies to that

end, including reorganization, product innovation,

and new pricing models. There are many ways for

a company to adapt; but staying ahead of the com-

petition almost invariably requires an improved

sales approach.

Most organizations will look to traditional sales

training programs to get that boost. However,

we’ve found that off-the-shelf training programs

rarely deliver the significant and lasting change

that companies need.

A “sales transformation” on the other hand, ad-

dresses the unique challenges and needs of a

specific business, no matter how small, large, or

complex. Rather than a one-off, one-size-fits-all

seminar on the latest lead generation techniques or

closing tactics, sales transformations aim to ad-

dress every element of a company’s sales model.

And while the sales transformation process can be

incredibly valuable, it can also be incredibly chal-

lenging. We hope that, by sharing the following

“7 Keys to a Successful Sales Transformation”, we

can share some insights to help your organization

overcome those challenges.

7 KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL SALES TRANSFORMATION

No matter how airtight your business plan, the world changes. You can’t predict every niche product that gains a foothold on your market, nor the game changers (or game-changing mergers) that overturn the entire competitive landscape.

Begin by identifying the specific external prob-

lems that your sales team needs to solve. Is your

greatest challenge acquiring new customers? Ex-

panding existing relationships? Losing deals to a

specific competitor? All of the above? Look closely

at your sales data to determine where your team

needs to improve the most. Then, map a clear

and concrete course on how to get there. To help

guide the transformation process from beginning

to end, that course should include explicit steps

whenever possible.

To remain clear, the vision and strategy should

also be concise. Try to distill the vision into a sales strategy one-pager, which will serve as a road

map to guide the transformation process. A concise

action plan is also essential to ensuring it can be

shared and communicated readily.

01: CLEAR STRATEGY AND VISIONEvery successful sales transformation begins with a clear strategy and vision. Without first defining what success looks like, and how to get there, leaders will be unable to realize the transformation they want.

When creating your sales strategy one-pager, make sure to consider the following 5 key elements:

How will you know if your program has been a success? What indicators will signal the realization of the vision? Remember, less is more when it comes to metrics. A total of three key metrics is ideal, but don’t use more than five. Keep it clear, achievable, and measurable.

05 :SALES METRICS

03 :SALES STRATEGYHow do you plan to get from Point A to Point B? What is your roadmap to get from current challeng-es to final vision? Be sure to include steps which address the specific chal-lenges you’ve outlined in the previous step.

04 :STRATEGICINITIATIVESWhat are the key com-ponents of the program? What structures, over-hauls, and initiatives will define the program?

01 :VISIONWhat are the goals of the program? What is its pur-pose? What specific goals and short-term targets are required for success?

02 :CHALLENGESWhat are the internal and external challenges the company is facing that is requiring a new strategy?

Build this coalition from the ground up. Use their

opinions, insights, and feedback to help fine-tune

the program from the beginning. These individ-

uals will serve as the biggest advocates for the

transformation, so they must fully understand and

support the vision.

A true sales transformation won’t take place in a

2-hour seminar. It is a continuous, iterative process

that requires guidance, leadership and persistence.

After establishing your strategy and vision, enlist

the help of that small, guiding coalition to remain

engaged along every step of the way.

02: CREATE A GUIDING COALITIONFor a sales transformation to truly take root, it must first receive widespread acceptance. To help aid in that effort, enlist the help of influencers and thought leaders within the team, to serve as inside spokespeople for the transformation. This coalition should be a cross section of your company; including leaders from a variety of different roles and departments, such as sales, sales enablement, and marketing that have knowledge, credibility, and influence.

So, for your sales transformation to work, you’ll need to

develop a customized sales program to suit your orga-

nization’s unique needs. That program should consist of

three essential elements: Process; Message; and Tools.

Your sales process should be aligned to your custom-

er’s buying process and should include other consid-

erations, such as targeting; prospecting; qualification;

closing; and renewal and upselling activities.

Your sales messaging should clearly define how to

communicate your organization’s unique value prop-

ositions and how to lead effective sales conversations

throughout your customer’s buying process.

Finally, make sure to leverage tools to help make

your sales team and managers more effective.

Many organizations gravitate to sales tools without

first assessing whether or not the tools will help

them solve their external challenges. The list of

sales enablement tools on the market is practically

endless. Do your own due diligence and select the

tools that are right for your organization.

03: CUSTOMIZE THE PROGRAMWhy are pre-packaged sales seminars ineffective? Because savvy sales teams view them as the “flavor of the month.” Off-the-shelf training rarely has a lasting impact. What’s more, every organization has its own unique personality, processes, and markets to consider. One size does not fit all.

CUSTOMIZED SALES PROGRAM

SALES PROCESS

SALES MESSAGE

SALES TOOLS

Management is critical to the success of a sales

transformation. Include managers early in the

design process of the transformation, so that their

voices and insights are fully integrated into your

sales initiative. Launch the program to your man-

agers first and make sure to equip them with the

tools they need to effectively promote and enact

the vision. After the launch, managers will be

the primary engines for enacting and upholding

the transformation. Your managers need to have

a consistent cadence of meetings with coaching

conversations around business planning, oppor-

tunity strategies, and pipeline development. So,

equip them to be effective champions of change, by

investing extra time and energy into their training

and support.

04: FOCUS ON THE MANAGERSWhile it may seem like common sense that managers are important to the transformation process, they are often the most overlooked element. And failure to engage managers early on is one of the leading causes of programs falling flat and not meeting expectations.

We believe knowledge transfer can occur in a

number of ways (eLearning, virtual web meetings,

face-to-face) but we recommend that transforma-

tion initiatives be launched face-to-face with exec-

utives, managers, and their teams. This approach

allows for a high degree of interaction among the

sales team, it allows managers to demonstrate their

buy-in by leading their teams, allows collaboration

and dialogue. The Curve of Forgetting states that

most people will only retain 10% of new knowledge

after 30 days if it is not revisited. To overcome this,

we suggest a clear follow-through strategy to de-

velop new skills and develop habits. For this activ-

ity, we recommend a blend of virtual coaching and

face-to-face activities. Face-to-face activities and

coaching should center around team meetings and

one-on-ones focused on preparation, practice, and

driving accountability. Virtual coaching around

activities, deals, and tools. Due to their low cost

and high convenience, virtual collaboration tools

(Go-to-meeting, HD Meeting, Zoom, etc.) allow for

much more frequency and follow-up.

05: LAUNCH AND FOLLOW-THROUGHFor a program to stick, to improve skills and have lasting behavior change, in needs to address three key components: knowledge, skills, and habits.

KNOWLEDGE

SKILLS

HABITS

IN-PERSON LAUNCH

FACE-TO-FACE AND VIRTUAL COACHING

PREPARATION, PRACTICE, AND ACCOUNTABILITY

There are two types of metrics: leading and lag-

ging indicators. Most companies tend to focus on

lagging indicators when selecting sales metrics,

because they’re easy to identify and track. How-

ever, lagging indicators alone often fail to capture

the full picture of your initiative’s progress. Lead-

ing indicators, on the other hand, can provide

valuable insights into the earlier stages of your

program’s development, such as adoption rates of

new activities, tools, and messaging.

Leading indicators should guide your manager’s

coaching activities, and lend accountability and

consistency to the transformation process. Deter-

mining which leading indicators are right for your

business is critical.  They should focus on the activ-

ities or habits that are key to enabling the success

of your unique program.

A FEW EXAMPLES OF LEADING INDICATORS INCLUDE:

• Number of new executive meetings• Pipeline growth• Number of days in opportunity stage• Activity conversions (calls to meetings to demos to

proposals to close)

By employing a mixture of both leading and lag-

ging indicators, leaders will receive a more accu-

rate and complete picture of their teams’ progress.

Company executives and board members will

also have added visibility to the key metrics to see

whether the ship is headed in the right direction.

06: IDENTIFY METRICSA sales transformation constitutes an extensive and dramatic change to your business. As a result, it usually doesn’t happen overnight or in the short term. That’s why it’s imperative that you establish clear metrics by which to measure the program’s success up front. Without these, it may become difficult to determine whether or not your transformation is on the right track.

To help maintain your team’s enthusiasm and trust,

make sure to celebrate major and minor milestones

throughout the transformation process. Retention

doesn’t come naturally. New habits, skills, and

processes must be constantly reinforced before

they will truly take hold. For that to happen, team

members should share in one another’s successes.

Consider creating a portal or website that is dedi-

cated to supporting the sales team in its transfor-

mation. A social platform on which team members

can share key accomplishments and updates can be

invaluable to the transformation process. Remem-

ber, no accomplishment is too small to boost morale

and inspire retention.

A sales transformation is neither fast nor easy.

Sales transformations require careful planning,

patience, and persistence to be effective. But for

leaders who are willing to invest the necessary

time, energy, and resources up front, the process

will undoubtedly prove worthwhile.

07: CELEBRATE KEY SUCCESSESFor a sales transformation to really stick, employees need to believe in it. And there’s no better way to inspire faith in the program than by celebrating its successes. As we mentioned earlier, the transformation process can be slow; new habits often take a while to change. And many companies have long, complex sales cycles. So, positive revenue results might not always be immediate.

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