More than 85% of the average sales process is pure waste, according to Kevin Klump, Director of Operational Excellence at Parsons & Associates and a certified lean process “sensei.” Klump has applied lean principles in sales organizations all over the world, and says that when he maps out a client’s sales process and develops metrics to track waste, that 85% number (or higher) proves true in the majority of cases.
There are many components to the “ultimate” sales professional including competencies, the “will to sell”, and sales DNA, but one of the most important factors is what I call the secret weapon. The secret weapon is their manager.
For the third year in a row, sales effectiveness has declined across all industries. According to the latest CSO Insights report, the average sales organization achieved 53% of its goal in 2017. That’s a problem, and not just a theoretical one. Declining sales performance correlates directly, across the board, to declining revenue plan attainment.
Quick question: what’s the #1 most overlooked factor in increasing win rates? Hiring better salespeople? Developing more compelling proposals? Qualifying better/harder? Lowering your prices? (Answer: none of the above).
CSO Insights, a division of MHI Global, conducts leading research into sales best practices, strategic trends, and the next generation capabilities driving sales performance. Their bi-monthly reports are among the most respected and in-depth studies available in the industry.
There is an air of inevitability that at some point, in the not too distant future, many of the tasks now routinely handled by “salespeople” will become automated – in fact, it is already happening.
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