Value Selling Success Requires More than Effort

When you are looking for results from your sales force, know that it takes more than effort…it takes a blend of consistent work and the key consultative sales skills learned in value selling training.

Just because you are hiring more sales reps, you cannot be guaranteed of increased sales…at least not for a while. Your feet on the street may be higher but you need to allow for ramp-up time. There will be an uncomfortable lag between bringing your new sales hires aboard and the time when they are actually bringing in the revenue you hope for. Yet, if you want to keep them engaged and motivated, you have to reward them sufficiently. So be prepared. There will be a net drain until they meet their targets.

Here, according to value selling training experts is what you must do to minimize the financial impact and bring in those positive results as soon as possible.

1. Hire your sales force well.
   Don’t hire for the numbers; hire for the quality. Know what critical few sales and cultural competencies spell success in your business and make sure your new sales hires can prove their ability or have the right attitude to learn what they need to know to succeed.
   
2. Prepare your sales force well.
   You will need to invest mightily in your incoming sales force. Give them the value selling training they need…both in what your company offers and in how your company adds value better, faster or cheaper than the competition. Train them in your proven sales methodology. For organizations with complex sales, teach them how to sell value. They should understand how to differentiate your offering and couch it in a way that truly solves the customer’s problem so that cost becomes less of a consideration. Help your new sales reps learn all they can about your industry, your company, your customers, your products, and your competition. They should have materials at hand (white papers, case studies, customer testimonials) that allow them to add and prove value every time they interact with customers.
   
3. Provide opportunities for your sales force.
   Let your sales reps shadow your “A” solution sellers and then give them a sales performance coach who can provide helpful feedback as they ease into selling one step at a time. Give them an opportunity to test their wings and they will learn by doing. Another aspect of “opportunity” is to give them some real business to work with. What is in your pipeline they can use as leads? You can’t just throw them into a new territory without a chance to win.

Establish realistic performance goals for each stage of sales onboarding. As your sales reps reach goals, they become more valuable to your sales team and to the company. Reward them accordingly. Soon enough, they will reap their own rewards as they bring in their own sales results.

Download the 4 most important attributes to look for when your sales reps miss their targets