Meeting quota is a valuable talent, but there are a handful of other performance signposts to consider when diagnosing sales team problems. With the time and resources it takes to onboard and acclimate a new rep, sales team managers learn to view team members with a holistic approach rather than firing at the first sign of a missed quota.
Tracking multiple metrics isn’t about keeping reps under a microscope with data and numbers. It’s about cultivating a sustainable sales team through discovering what hurts in the sales cycle, and by applying a sales enablement solution, it will help you fix problems instead of ditching reps. Consider the following signposts available to you—free for the taking—among your team.
1. Have you forgotten so easily? ROI, ROI, ROI.
When focusing strictly on quota, it’s easy to forget about true return. Effort investments into services and support kill margins. A rep forced to gun to meet quota will unabashedly ignore real return. When using your sales enablement solution to record and discuss numbers, it pays to emphasize return over quota.
2. Forecasting Worse than the Weatherman
Individual reps need to record and report personal forecasts that are separate from corporate forecasts. When you see a one-time drop or inaccuracy, it alerts the rep and management to keep an eye on next period: nothing more, nothing less. If a sales rep is chronically off by 10-25%, or consistently forecasting lower than coworkers, managers will know to adjust the corporate forecast and help the rep find better visibility and confidence.
3. Some Close it Hot, Others Close it Cold
Have reps record and report where leads come from. High performing reps will close hot and cold leads. Low performers drop some hot leads, won’t close cold leads, and will inevitably play the blame game when numbers roll out. Compare conversion rates by lead type to eliminate the gray area.
4. Attrition Rate: When, Where, and Why, oh, Why?
Have reps record the precise moment when leads drop off. Is it at different stages for different reps? This fact points to specific, fixable pain points in reps.
Are you staring so intently at quota that you’re missing valuable sales enablement signposts? Broaden your scope.
