IMPACT Inbound Marketing Agency]
Services
TAYA

They Ask, You Answer Mastery

A coaching & training program that drives unmatched sales & marketing results.

Sales

Sales Performance Mastery

Improve the competencies and close rates of your sales organization.

Web design

Website Mastery

Web design, development & training for your team.

HubSpot

HubSpot Mastery

Everything you need to get the most from HubSpot.

AI Mastery

AI Enablement Mastery

Unlock the power of AI in all aspects of your revenue operations.

Discover how IMPACT’s services can help take your business to the next level. Book a free 30-minute coaching session Book a free 30-minute coaching session
Learning Center
Learning Center

Learning Center

Free resources to help you improve the way you market, sell and grow your business.

[NEW] The Endless Customers Podcast is now available everywhere. Learn how to earn trust & win more customers in the age of AI. Listen Now Listen Now

Free Assessment: How does your sales & marketing measure up?

Close Bottom Left Popup Offer

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.
Rachel Clapp Miller

By Rachel Clapp Miller

Feb 28, 2015

Topics:

Inbound Sales
Subscribe
Join 40,000+ sales and marketing pros who receive our weekly newsletter.

Get the most relevant, actionable digital sales and marketing insights you need to make smarter decisions faster... all in under five minutes.

Thanks, stay tuned for our upcoming edition.
Inbound Sales

How Top Sales Teams Distinguish Themselves From Everyone Else

Rachel Clapp Miller

By Rachel Clapp Miller

Feb 28, 2015

How Top Sales Teams Distinguish Themselves From Everyone Else

How_top_sales_teams_distinguish_themselves_from_everyone_elseThis post originally appeared on the Force Management Blog. To read more content like this, visit the blog here.

We know that there are clear drivers of a best-in-class sales team: good leadership, effective salespeople and a defined process that allows the team to consistently reach revenue goals. 

Harvard Business Review Blogger Steve W. Martin recently surveyed 786 sales professionals, revealing more insight into what distinguishes top sales organizations from the rest. 

He found more than a dozen differences, but there are three themes among his results we found to be most important.

1. Structure

Top sales organizations have structured sales processes. Their salespeople are managed to them and measured by them.

In Martin’s research, 50% of participants from high-performing sales organizations had sales processes that were “closely monitored, strictly enforced or automated." In contrast, 48% of salespeople from low-performing organizations had nonexistent or informal sales processes.

An effective sales process provides a vehicle to enforce discipline, repeatability, predictability and validation of progress throughout a sale. Most importantly, it allows for inspection and planning – in advance. Without it, you are merely guessing whether or not (1) opportunities will close and (2) if you’ll be able to deliver the forecast.

2. Accountability

Martin’s research demonstrates the need for a high-level of accountability for your salespeople. Only 13% of participants in under-performing organizations agreed that they were held accountable for quota results.

Top sales organizations have a cadence and accountability around their sales process. That accountability is a key component to successful pipeline management. Your employees will be more successful if they know what’s expected, and there is an accurate way to measure those expectations.

Additional research from Aberdeen Group demonstrates the importance of accountability.

This Business Process Management Report shows that best-in-class companies are more likely to have a process to drive accountability. They develop key performance indicators that demonstrate how reps are maximizing value from their assigned territories.

3. High-Standards

High-performing sales organizations demand excellence.

As Martin’s research shows, they’re quicker to fire under-performers and they’re not afraid to raise quota. Raising the bar with your sales team is one step to driving high-performance.

However, you need to make sure you provide the tools they need to achieve a higher quota. It’s not about the what. It’s about the how. Don’t just raise the quota without ensuring your salespeople have the tools, processes and content to get there.

You can read more on Martin’s research here

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.