5 Ways to Lead a High-Performing Sales Team
 
Technology makes our lives easier — at least, that’s what it’s supposed to do. But the constant stream of new ad tech and marketing tools sometimes confuses and overwhelms more than it helps. As “The Next Big Thing” changes from one day to the next, sales teams are left to sort through the chaos and discern which tools are valuable and which they can ignore.
 
This tendency is positive to some degree. People are constantly discovering new apps and digital tools, and that exploration is naturally happening online. In fact, online searches are so significant that “spontaneous, discovery-based purchases” drove a 202 percent increase in e-commerce-linked social media sales in 2014.
 
You can’t have a sales practice without understanding how digital discovery trends influence your prospects. But as a sales leader, you must help your team cut through the digital noise and focus on performance. If you can’t, your prospects and customers will look elsewhere.
 
Steer Your Sales Team Toward the Summit
 
Immediacy is essential when it comes to following up with potential targets. Most people don’t have the luxury of time to make decisions, which means once they decide they’re in the market for something, they’re prepared to act quickly.
 
Eighty percent of sales require five follow-ups after initial contact, so you don’t want your team members testing useless platforms when they could be connecting with prospects. The first vendor to act on a prospect’s interest closes the sale 35 percent to 50 percent of the time, and you’re nine times more likely to convert someone if you respond within five minutes.
 
Encouraging consistent, timely contact with a potential target is just one way to put your sales team on an upward trend. Here are five more ways to get out of the digital discovery swamp and lift it into the high-performance headspace:
 
1. Look upstream and downstream. Don’t hand your sales associates a list of prospects and expect them to power through it without context. Instead, give them the information they need to have insightful conversations.
 
Have these prospects bought from you in the past? What are their individual histories with the brand? How can you time and personalize your outreach based on their behavioral patterns? Answer these questions to help your sales team understand where prospects fall in the demand funnel.
 
2. Utilize post-sale data. Teach your sales team to find out what happens once prospects convert. Rather than turn them over to customer support, monitor their post-acquisition experience. Being mindful of the end-to-end process will help you start relationships on the right foot and retain and grow customers and turn them into long-term buyers.

3. Keep an eye on your competition. Identify industry rivals not just from a product perspective, but also from a marketing viewpoint. You know they’re solving the same needs — how are they conveying that message to consumers?
 
Take the time to understand how people search and discover products similar to yours. It can help you shape a more effective sales and marketing strategy.

4. Utilize all forums. Salespeople must be adept at omnichannel communications. As they progress through those five touchpoints, they might use email, text messaging, video conferences, and voice conversations. Track the ways in which your prospects want to buy, and create a frictionless experience by meeting them in those channels. Observe how quickly the conversions happen and which points in the pipeline prove most persuasive.
 
A major wireless carrier, for example, pilots a live video chat feature on its website and streams live product demonstrations online. The thought is that if people can see how a product works there, they’ll be more inclined to buy immediately from the website rather than driving to the physical store.
 
Online chat, too, is increasingly important, as consumers like to be able to ask questions before they finalize their purchases. You need to stay ahead of these trends and incorporate them into your platforms.

5. Time your progression. In today’s on-demand sales climate, you should always be testing ways to trim conversion times. Note how long it takes prospects to move from stage to stage, and then look for opportunities to expedite that process. Because time kills all deals, allowing the five touchpoints to drag on significantly lessens the likelihood of closing the sale.
 
Swiftness and agility are crucial to high-performing sales teams. If you want your team’s numbers to increase, emphasize immediate, personalized, relevant contact. Customers are moving faster than ever when making purchases, and sales representatives must move as quickly to win their business.
Judi Hand has served as president and general manager of Revana since 2007. Revana provides leading technology-enabled revenue generation solutions. Judi’s background includes 20 years in sales, operations, and marketing at multiple global firms. She has more than doubled the size of Revana, growing its revenue from $45 million to more than $150 million and increasing profitability by more than 4,600 percent. In addition to the strong financial performance under her leadership, Judi also created a global footprint for Revana’s client base, launching operations in six countries. Combining her strengths in marketing and financial management, she has been responsible for achieving double-digit growth in both sales and profitability.