How to Become a Strategic Sales Organization 

Sales organizations take different approaches to their selling efforts. Some organizations, perhaps those smaller in number or those just establishing themselves, may take a more entrepreneurial approach to sales. These organizations may feel it is more important to allow salespeople to operate independently; each with his/her own approach and process to selling. This can encourage ownership and allow people to create their own methodologies and, in essence, their own mini-organizations-meaning they are able to run their own portfolios of prospects and clients as they choose. Companies may choose this approach either because they believe it is the best for their organizations, or because they assume that they don’t have the resources or time to dedicate to building consistent tools and methodologies.

As an organization grows, and decides to focus more attention on a uniform approach to selling, it may decide to build consistency across the organization. This can be advantageous for a number of reasons. First, it creates a common process and methodology that allows everybody to speak the same language. Second, it creates operational efficiencies and a common set of tools that can be leveraged across the organization. Third, it allows for better sharing of information including best practices with fellow salespeople and creates an opportunity to introduce a more formal Client Relationship Management (CRM) system-if one isn’t already in place. Finally, and most importantly, it produces a more disciplined approach, which most likely generates more revenue. 

As sales organizations move from individualized, home-grown, and unique processes and sales approaches to more consistent, uniform processes and methodologies they are taking a more holistic, strategic approach to selling. A strategic sales organization is one that defines a sales process utilized by the whole organization. This is not to say that individuals and offices may not use their unique approaches by incorporating them into the “sales process.” Putting a well-defined, comprehensive process in place, builds common terminology which can be a tremendous value when determining the needed skill set for future hires, when creating performance management tools for the sales organization and when determining the appropriate incentives and compensation for sales associates and management.

Strategic selling also creates operational efficiencies. In a more heterogeneous sales environment, individuals across the organization create their own tools to manage their portfolios. This takes unnecessary time and attention that could be better used in the selling process. In a strategic sales organization, one set of tools is created and shared across the organization to save time and allow individuals to focus their efforts on selling.

Additionally, taking a strategic approach to selling greatly improves the information-sharing process.  If every person is thinking about the sales process in the same way, they are better able to communicate prospect status to colleagues because everybody is more familiar with the language being used. Eventually, the increased communication flow may create the need for a formalized Client Relationship Management tool-if one isn’t in place. A good CRM tool can significantly improve how information is shared across the organization, and can increase efficiency in how time and territory are managed.

Introducing a strategic selling approach moves the organization from individual sales methodologies and tools, to a more consistent and uniform approach. As the sales organization continues to grow, the company will benefit from a standardized, more automated and easily shared sales process that allows them to better share information, better understand how time is being spent, and allow Salespeople to focus on the true value-add of their role: selling and servicing prospects and clients.

We create Prospecting Methodology tools that can be used consistently across the sales organization. When used the tools allow an organization to better understand the portfolio of prospects and how to effectively move the right prospects through the sales process. We can also create other tools at the individual, office and company-wide levels that show the number of prospects at each stage of the selling process. These tools can be put on-line to create further efficiency.

A strategic approach to sales is an effective way to help a sales organization build consistency, improve efficiency, share information more effectively and ultimately increase sales. The effort that it takes to build a standardized sales process and the appropriate tools and methodologies to support that process can create a significant return if the time is invested upfront and along the way. Time must be spent designing the tools and methodologies, introducing them to the organization through training, reinforcing the importance of consistent utilization of the tools and management support through effective coaching, performance management and development, and incentives. 

Suzanne Sitrin has over 14 years of experience as an internal and external consultant focusing in the areas of sales and sales management consulting, as well as general Organization Development and HR consulting. She is currently a Principal with Red Rooster Consulting, Inc., which specializes in Organization Development consulting. For more information, contact Suzanne at ssitrin@redrooster.net, and visit the company website at www.redrooster.net.