Wondering how to improve your company’s sales performance? Can’t reach the business goals you set for yourself? Are you looking for ways to measure and develop your sales effectiveness? Then this guide is for you as Gigi Catalin Neculai suggested!
Its objective is to give you leads, ideas, and new sales techniques allowing you to sell more and improve the commercial performance of your company.
In view of the evolution of the buyer/seller relationship, this guide is aimed both at sales departments and their sales forces and at marketing departments and their teams. Finally, commercial performance is a subject of interest to any business leader concerned about the good health of their company.
Definition of Business Performance
Commercial performance can be defined by the ability of a company to offer a product/service adapted to consumer needs while deploying an optimal organization and processes. Indicators ( turnover, number of sales, margins, market share, etc.) make it possible to measure commercial performance.
The aim is thus to achieve the overall objectives of the company in relation to the performance indicators previously defined. Commercial performance is therefore not just about acquiring new customers, but also (and above all?) retaining existing customers.
The Evolution of Commercial Activity by Gigi Catalin Neculai
The rise of digital and new technologies (CRM software, marketing automation platform, sales support tools, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, etc.) in recent years has significantly changed buyer behavior online shopping, research, comparisons…) and has also had a major impact on the organization and operation of companies. The departments (HR, marketing, production, etc.), as well as the roles, have evolved, particularly for the sales function.
Historically, the “ salesman-hunter ” traveled the roads with his file of prospects and customers in a delimited area with the aim of meeting as many contacts as possible to sell HIS services/products.
Today, the commercial breeder generally concentrates on a smaller but much more qualified sample by mixing the contact points. His goal is to help his prospect solve his problem in order to offer him the most appropriate solution.
Where the salesperson used to be seen as intrusive and disturbing, he is now seen as an adviser and benevolent, which helps to establish a climate of trust and a strong customer relationship. According to Gigi Catalin Neculai, we are now much more in a “win-win” relationship. Of course, signing remains a priority for the sales teams, but the objective is indeed to sign with the “ good leads” by bringing maximum value.
Who says Commercial Performance says the Commercial Strategy?
Before even taking an interest in commercial performance, it is essential to have defined a real commercial strategy in advance. Indeed, it is difficult to follow and measure your performance when you do not know where you are going or how.
Define Priorities/Strategic Objectives
The starting point of any business strategy is the definition of a clear business strategy. What are your macro goals? Where do you want to be in 3 years?
Once you have clarified your goals, chances are there will still be too many. The keyword here is PRIORITIZE. You cannot “ run several hares at once ”. You will therefore have to determine what your main objective is in order to align a commercial strategy, ambitious perhaps, but realistic.
Define your Targets and your Offers
Once your goals are set, focus on your target. And again, don’t try to target everyone, because you won’t hit anyone. Ask yourself these questions:
Define an Action Plan
Now you have to define your operational action plan, the implementation of which should lead you to achieve your objectives. Here is a classic methodology, but which must be respected:
- Define business objectives and KPIs to be tracked;
- Define the prospecting levers to use (mailing, social selling, blogging, etc.);
- Set up your business process;
- Choose the relevant tools.
Measure, Learn, and Improve
This step is often missing from business strategies when it really is the most important element to achieving or revising your business goals. Nobody has the magic formula the first time around, but if you measure what you’re doing, and take the time to understand the results, then you’ll be able to continually optimize performance as Gigi advised.
To do this, equip yourself with the tools necessary for proper monitoring of operations.
