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Sales: It’s All About The Leads
In my last post, Building and Improving a Sales Team Through Consulting, I mentioned a study that highlighted the “The Top Problems of the Inside Sales Industry”. The study is very enlightening as it provides insights on the top obstacles faced by both sales managers and sales reps. Take a look at the research and see if the same things are keeping YOU up at night:
Top Sales Manager Obstacles
Sales managers have a lot to worry about. They are responsible for hiring the right people for the sales team. They have to equip, train, and compensate them. They must monitor and report on their ongoing results. All of these tasks occupy the mind and the calendar. However, the study clearly showed that the top concern sales managers face is providing their team with good leads.
Top Sales Rep Obstacles
The top 4 obstacles expressed by sales reps have to do with leads and the ability to contact those leads.
I personally have found this to be the case in my career. Finding and making contact with the right leads is the most difficult part of the sales process. I would venture to say it is also the least enjoyable part.
Companies who want to produce greater sales revenues need to help their sales managers and their teams address these concerns. BUT HOW?
- Focus marketing resources on finding the right lists. Go after the best lists you can afford. The lists MUST focus on your target industries, companies, and decision makers by title. Remember that the best lists will be the hardest to find. But, if you spend the time testing and searching, those lists will be worth their weight in sales gold!
- Provide your sales team with the tools to increase contact rates! InsideSales.com has had a 92% contact rate for nearly 3 years. This is due to the technology and sales models that focus on the 7 ways to increase contact rates: immediacy, persistence, optimal response, time of day, day of week, direct dial number, local presence. These same technologies and sales models have helped companies like Lexis Nexis to see a 13x increase in their sales productivity.
If leads are the top concern of our sales managers and sales reps, then why wouldn’t that be a major focus of the organization? Ken Krogue, President of InsideSales.com, continually and rightfully sounds this clarion cry of the successful sales organization…”It’s all about the leads”.
By: Brian McFadyen
Brian McFadyen 