Build a Sales Team

Enable your sales team and managers to execute with precision – – effectively, efficiently & predictably

Common Causes of Failure When Building A Sales Team

#1 Management lacks expertise in one or more of the twelve operating processes required to operate a sales team

#2 Unrealistic expectations of sales managers i.e. make sales calls, hire and manage salespeople, deploy sales technology, manage office space, build sales strategy and forecasts, etc.

#3 Incomplete, Missing and/or conflicting procedures, information, policies, and guidelines

#4 Time pressure to generate immediate revenue results to cover the cost of building the sales team
Failed New Sales Team

We Use The Chief Sales Leader Framework™

To make it easy for you to understand and manage the three (3) strategic and twelve (12) operating sales processes that enable a sales team to execute with precision – – effectively, efficiently, and predictably

Steps To Build A Sales Team

How To Build a Sales Team

Step 1 – We Start At The Sales Call and Work Backwards Because:

  1. That is where the buyer resides and we can learn about our messaging
  2. The cash register rings – – to generate short-term revenue
  3. Time-saving lessons are learned for building out (3) strategic and twelve (12) sales operating processes that are required for a sales team to execute with precision – – effectively, efficiently and predictably

Step 2 – Understand The Buyer Decision Process

  1. What answers do buyers need in order to make a purchase?
  2. What questions do buyers not know to ask about your offering?
  3. What is the right sequence of questions and answers to engage?
  4. What are you asking them to start and stop doing?
  5. What are the ten reasons why they will so “no” to purchase?
Step 3 – Craft Value Prop & Sales Call Guide
  1. Open the sales conversation
  2. Investigate buyer needs and qualify them
  3. Demonstration your solution
  4. Present pricing options
  5. Negotiate and close the deal
  6. Handle objections at any point during the conversation
Step 4 – Schedule Sales Appointments
  1. Define target industries, companies and buy points
  2. Find contact information i.e. email and phone
  3. Craft message to get buyers to say “yes” to appointments
  4. Request appointments via email and phone
  5. Deploy marketing automation to sustain contact
  6. Track appointment setting results i.e. email and phone
Step 5 – Track Your Sales Pipeline & Opportunities
  1. Contact history notes
  2. Source – – where did you meet the contact?
  3. Milestone and status
  4. Sales opportunities and probability of closing the sale

Step 6 – Decide What Type of Sales Team To Build

  1. Inside and Field Sales Team
  2. Channel Partner Sales Team
  3. Account Management Team
  4. Technical Sales Team
  5. Customer Onboarding and Service Team
  6. Marketing Communications Team
  7. Product and Market Management Team
Step 7 – Select a Process Framework

To guide the development of your sales team.  We recommend using The Chief Sales Leader Framework™ because it provides a comprehensive framework that covers the three (3) strategic and twelve (12) operating sales processes that are required for a sales team to execute with precision – – effectively, efficiently and predictably.

Step 8 – Select Implementation Pace & Road Map
We recommend using The Chief Sales Leader™ Road Map
  1. Methodical Approach – – to keep time, cost and risk low by working on one of the twelve (12) operating processes at a time
  2. Expedited Approach – – to speed implementation by simultaneously working on three (3) of the operating processes at once
  3. Custom Approach – – to meet your unique situation
Step 9 – Build-out Sales Process Infrastructure For Growth
Part 1 – Sales Strategy
  1. Sales forecasting for revenue, sales pipeline activities, sales productivity, staffing requirements and selling expenses
  2. Sales and market planning by industry, geography, buy-point, product, and service, buy point, etc.
  3. Sales organization design to get the right salespeople to the right place at the right time
  4. Sales culture to ensure that sales call execution is being reinforced
Part 2 – Sales Execution
  1. Sales procedures for lead generation, appointment setting, new customer acquisition, customer onboarding, customer service, account management renewals, cross-selling, and win-backs
  2. Sales technology including CRM, marketing automation, customer service, phone, auto-dialer, sales library, productivity, project management, territory mapping and routing, and human resources
  3. Sales content for awareness building, purchase evaluation, company information, product and service information, pricing and proposals, promotional materials, contacts and customer service help desk
  4. Sales people for hiring, onboarding, coaching, compensating, rewarding, evaluating, training, developing future sales leaders, and succession planning
Part 3 – Sales Evaluation
  1. Sales measurement for tracking sales activities, sales opportunities, and contact history
  2. Sales analysis for internal activities, results, and trends; as well as external events and trends
  3. Sales reporting for industries, buyer companies, sales activities, revenue, sales regions, and salespeople
  4. Sales process improvement for gap analysis, problem identification and prioritization, improvement planning, and improvement reporting