To compete in today’s complex marketplace, sales teams can’t just be good. Being great doesn’t even cut it anymore. Like a special ops team in the military, today’s sales teams need to be elite—expertly trained, excellent strategists, intensely targeted, able to excel under any conditions, and unparalleled in execution of duties.
At Tyson Group, we’ve identified the critical drivers that all sales teams need to master to be considered elite, what we call Sales Team 6.
Sales Leadership
Culture. Expectations. Experience. Behavior. Values. These are the elements that make up the essence of sales leadership. So where does your sales team stand with this critical driver? Can every member of your sales team define and articulate your team’s values? Does your sales team operate more like a swim team or a basketball team? Does every member take part in setting their goals and expectations?
Sales Management
Ahhh, sales management. Leads, pipeline, goals, tracking, reporting, KPIs, and compensation. All of these elements are no-brainers, right? Easily articulated, easily understood. Would you say every member of your sales team can define their KPIs? Do you have a scoreboard so every member can see how the team is doing? Does every member take part in setting their goals and expectations?
Sales Talent
Your sales talent is the heartbeat of your company. But many companies lack a proper process to even attract the right people. Some companies don’t have a process to select and onboard their sales talent. Others still fail to invest the time or resources necessary to develop and retain their sales talent. The fact is, investing in your sales talent is the number one way to ensure your company’s fiscal health and ability to scale. But are your salespeople aligned with your company’s mission? Do you struggle to retain good, solid salespeople? Do you invest in and coach your B and C players, or just the stars?
Sales Process
Getting your sales process down is one of the critical drivers of high-performance sales teams. We’re talking about your road map, your prospecting strategies, your agendas. And let’s not forget about presentations, product knowledge, marketplace opportunities, and pricing. Does every member of your team know your Ideal Prospect Profile (IPP)? Is your sales process documented, replicable, and scalable? Can every member of your team identify their prospect’s issues, goals, and priorities?
Sales Methodology
Your sales team may be using a well-known sales methodology such as relationship selling, strategic selling, or value-based selling just to name a few—but is it the right one? Sales methodology determines the strategy that your team uses to engage prospects and customers. But does your sales methodology mirror the techniques of your high-performers? Does it align with the needs of your buyers? Do you ever wonder why some deals stall out or die at the same point in the sales process?
Sales Enablement
Is your sales team disabled by your sales enablement software? This is least understood—let alone appreciated— drivers. This critical driver encompasses all the technology you employ to capture leads, engage and track prospects, connect with customers, and close deals. But does your sales team fully understand and embrace their sales enablement software? Do your sales enablement metrics completely align with the company/team goals?
Tyson Group sets itself apart from status quo sales training programs with our innovative approach to team development through our Sales Team 6 Assessment, which utilizes meticulously designed questions for a robust evaluation of the 6 success-based drivers.
The result? Increased sales productivity. Reduced sales-cycle time. Higher close rates.
So, is your sales team ready to become elite? Take the Sales Team 6 Assessment today!
Lance Tyson is the president and CEO of Tyson Group—a Selling Power 2021 Top 25 Sales Training Company.
