Do sales just drag on period after period?
Are sales people closing effectively?
How well does the sales force handle objections and close?
How well does the sales force find out when the buyer will be in the market?
How well do they keep in touch until the prospect is ready to move?
Do they create a Contact Plan for each prospect?
How good are the sales people at structuring the sale with the prospect - agreeing a plan?
How strong is the sales force at qualifying to make sure that they are not wasting their time?
Is the hit rate on sales better than 50%?
Can the sales force articulate the business and personal benefits that a prospect might gain from the product?
Does support staff understand its role in the sales cycle?
Is there a complex sign off process and do all stakeholders understand the sales process, particulary qualification?
Can these sales force articulate the benfits of being a supplier of choice?
Do the sales force understand the range of commitments from the customer that transform a Preferred Supplier statement into a productive revenue generating relationship?
Does the sales force understand the sales force understand how to gain Preferred Supplier status? This process covers effective delivery prospecting and current sales?
Does the sales force understand the difference between seeling from the catalouge and selling the idea that they should be the catalouge of choice, a poloitical sale?
Is the sales force effective at finding and recruiting new channel partners?
Is the sales force clear about jow to qualify channel partners?
Does the sales force have a clear view of all the comitments thye need from the channel partner to ensure a string flow of business?
Does the sales team know how to structure workshops with the prospect as a tool to sell the service?
Does the sales team understand how to use reference stories and success stories to excite prospects?
Does the sales team understand how to sell the capability of the organisation when there is no uniqueness in the ‘product’?
Do the sales team understand the uniqueness, if any, in the product?
Do the sales people have a process to get their uniqueness into the buying criteria?
If the product has little differentiation but the service is different, does the sales force understand how to articulate the benefits?
And do they understand that these benefits will largely be of interest only at a more senior level?
Do they sales people have a process to get their uniqueness into the buying criteria?
Has there been a good target marketing analysis?
Is recruitment an issue?
Are the sales territories allocated correctly?
Is there a good level of prospecting activity?
Have the targets been set realistically?
Does the bonus scheme give proper incentives to sales people? Is it simple and realistic?
Has the right level of resource been allocated to each important account?
Do the account managers produce usable and realistic Account Plans?
Do they have a Care Plan to look after the day to day issues of billing, delivery etc?
Does the commission scheme give proper incentives for account development?
Does the incentive plan actually give an incentive to an account manager whose job is merely to protect a revenue stream?
Does the sales force know how to gain access at senior level?
Does the sales force understand that senior people are interested in effectiveness rather than efficiency?
Do they understand the fundamental difference between Efficiency and Effectiveness?
Do they know how to structure the benefits as Competitive Edge or possibly Shareholder Value?
Does the sales force know how to translate the capabilities of the product or service into language that the technicians will relate to?
Do they know how to structure trials or pilots to maximise sales success?
Do they understand that the decision is rarely just a technical one?
Can the sales force articulate the benefits that an end user will gain by buying from you?
Does the sales force know how to structure a convincing financial justification?
Does the sales force know how to gain access at senior level?
Does the sales force understand that senior people are interested in effectiveness rather than efficiency?
Do they understand the fundamental difference between Efficiency and Effectiveness?
Do they know how to structure the benefits as Competitive Edge or possibly Shareholder Value?
Does the sales force know how to translate the capabilities of the product or service into language that the technicians will relate to?
Do they know how to structure trials or pilots to maximise sales success?
Do they understand that the decision is rarely just a technical one?
Can the sales force articulate the benefits that an end user will gain by buying from you?
Does the sales force know how to structure a convincing financial justification?
Do they understand the different business benefits that different levels will be looking for?
Does the sales force have a good supply of convincing reference stories?
Do they tell them effectively?
Does the sales force know how to sell the idea of gaining a 'Hunting Licence'?
Is there a documented process for how to do a consultative study of the prospect needs?
Does the sales force understand how to uncover the personal needs of the prospects?
Does the sales force tend to just respond to the stated need or does it explore the reasons behind the needs?
Does the sales force know how to move beyond the stated needs to add its own strengths to the requirements?
Does the sales force understand how to explore ‘Itch Cycles’? Itch Cycles are future changes, such as Contract Expiry Dates, that will cause the prospect to have a need.
Is there a clear process for keeping in touch until the prospect is ready to move?
After considering these questions we suggest these modules should be included in your bespoke course.
