Sales Managers: Get Your Heads Out of Your Spreadsheet
Joanne Black
Get Access to Buyers in a Tough Sales Climate | Partnering with Sales Leaders & Their Teams to Build an Outbound Referral Culture I Referrals: Your Fastest Revenue Driver | Unparalleled 70 Percent Conversion Rate
“Message to Management: Your job is to get the rocks out of the road for your salespeople so they can do what they were hired to do—sell!”
I wrote that 18 years ago, but I don’t think any sales manager listened, because the vast majority of reps are still missing quota. In 2024, nearly 70 percent won’t hit their mark, according to the 2024 B2B Sales Benchmark Report from Ebsta and Pavilion. Meanwhile, Salesforce has found that, in recent years, only about 24 percent exceed their annual quotas.
Why are we settling for this huge discrepancy? You wouldn’t want a surgeon with a 30-percent success rate, a mechanic that only puts air in one of your tires, or a service provider whose solution only works a third of the time. Why is it acceptable for most of your team to miss quota?
More importantly, what can sales leaders do to improve these numbers? Coaching can make a huge difference, but as George Brontén reports in his blog:
"Eighty percent of sales managers say they coach their teams. Yet only 48% of salespeople say that they receive coaching, and only 13% find it helpful.”
Only 13%? That's embarrassing.
I don’t blame salespeople for underperforming. I blame their sales managers for having the wrong priorities, using the wrong success metrics, and not setting salespeople up for success. All of us perform our best when we are held accountable and have the tools to succeed. We respond to being shown, recognized, and rewarded for successful behaviors.
(Image attribution: dotshock)
Sales teams have a chaotic and disconnected view of what coaching is and what it is not. George Brontén lays the plan out in his blog post: How Often Should You Coach Your Salespeople?
Modern sales managers have their heads stuck in spreadsheets with priorities changing daily. They’re bogged down with technology. But technology doesn’t win deals; people do. Isn’t it time to focus on what really matters—coaching, guiding, and nurturing your sales team? And of course, providing them with a referral program that fills their pipeline with hot sales leads.
Check out the Integrity Solutions Mental Selling Podcast with Will Milani, CMO to hear us discuss How to Build a Referral Selling Culture.
(Featured image attribution: CONAD)
Challenging traditional CRMs - on a mission to elevate the sales profession with technology and partnerships!
1moThanks for the shoutout in your blog post, Joanne. It is such an important topic! 👍🏼
Award-winning biz dev consultant driving revenue by connecting your distinctions with unique and sustained client and potential client interactions.
1moWhat a startling thing to learn -- that most sales reps are missing their quota. (They need to hire you!!!!)
Absolutely, sales managers play a critical role in supporting their teams to reach their targets.
👑 Founder of Wear Your Money Crown® | Certified Financial Educator | Financial Coach (USA & UK expert) | Author | SXSW Speaker | Helping Organizations & Individuals to THRIVE through Financial Wellness! 💪🏽💰
1moWhat an insightful article Joanne Black! It's clear that effective coaching and prioritizing the right metrics are crucial for sales success. Managers need to focus on empowering their teams rather than getting lost in spreadsheets. Thank you for highlighting.