Ratcheting Up Revenue: Fixing a Broken Sales Organization

by Chip Brown

Sustaining sales revenue in a recession is just about as hard as it gets.   Businesses are scrambling to keep revenues and margins up, sales cycles are growing longer, and sales teams are in flux as companies trim employees to cut costs.

Cerius Interim Executives' top sales management leaders share their experience in the most successful steps that can be taken to address a broken sales organization for rapid turnaround. Their five key mandates for navigating through the current economy include:

1. Focus on revenue. Get revenue acquisition in the cross-hairs and keep it there. Evaluate sales strategies and efforts against revenue goals not just monthly, but weekly and even daily.  Ensure all team members and executives know the results.
2. Create a company-wide mind-set that focuses on success and results.  This requires the ability to motivate the team: rather than letting sales representatives succumb to fear, successful sales leadership helps them recognize that they will have to play at a higher level to accomplish results.  Consistently review the progress that leads to results:
   • How to translate the strengths of the product or service, and the brand into the right value equation for the customer
   • How to reach new prospects
   • How to turn them into customers
3. Re-evaluate the sales organization's compensation plans.  Does it fit current market conditions yet create incentives?  Or is it tied to a different environment and perhaps a different selling process?  Both team motivation and revenue growth are tied to the comp plan.
4. Re-assess the sales discipline and processes in place.  Organizations need proven selling disciplines that work for rapid comebacks -- disciplines that have had demonstrable success in times of adversity and change.  The ability to identify high impact, low risk, easy-to-implement actions that drive results, create momentum, and build confidence is critical.
5. Drive for results. The ability to work effectively with the senior executive team to champion results-oriented actions is critical.

Post-recessionary sales rebounds rely on a cohesive team with a clear vision of their goals, a solid understanding of their products or services, and the ability to articulate their benefits and differentiators to prospects.   Experienced leadership is necessary to create the discipline to translate that vision into concrete revenue-generating strategies that retain a sustainable balance between sales costs and revenues derived.

To ratchet up revenue, look to the experts.  Join the many companies today that are bringing in sales executives with proven successes in balancing short and long term revenue goals while executing your company's sales strategy with a productive, motivated sales team. Whether you need full or part time, short or long term support, an experienced Cerius interim sales executive or part time sales leader will ensure that your company can successfully address its revenue goals.  

For more information, see Interim Sales Leadership: Increase Revenue Results -Right Now with Cerius "On-Demand" Executives or read our white paper,"Gaining a Competitive Edge Through Interim Executive Management".

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