Ranking of the Top Five Most Difficult Sales Effectiveness Related Challenges The 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness Study illustrates activities widely recognized as posing the greatest challenge for sales organizations to achieve. Of the 45 dimensions of sales force effectiveness explored, there is strong consensus among both executive level management and field-level professionals regarding which activities pose the greatest difficulty. The following is a ranking of the top five most difficult sales success related challenges: Leveraging potential of performers Generating qualified prospects Difficulty selling new products and services Increasing revenue with fewer people and resources Leveraging customer data to drive sales strategy Sales Organization Relevant Data Points 54% of sales leaders believe they have the right people in their sales organizations 56% of sales leaders believe the people in their sales organizations are in the right positions 54% of sales leaders recognize they have an inadequate process for leveraging the potential of strong performers Only 29% of sales leaders believe the talent in their sales force is being fully utilized Ranking of the top three activities considered to have the greatest impact in contributing to overall sales effectiveness The 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness Study identifies those activities considered by winning sales organizations to have the greatest impact toward improving the overall productivity and effectiveness of their selling organizations. The study defined “winning sales organizations” as those respondents indicating improved sales performance in 2003 compared to 2002 results. Nearly half of all respondents to the survey represented “winning sales organizations.” Analysis of survey responses from this population revealed activities considered to have the greatest impact toward achieving improved performance. Of the 45 different dimensions of sales effectiveness analyzed, winning sales organizations ranked the following three activities as most likely to have the greatest impact toward improving sales force effectiveness. Ability to place talented people in the right positions Ability to effectively and efficiently move opportunities through the various stages of the sales funnel Ability to effectively reach and influence executive-level decision makers #1 Ranked Activity: The ability to place the right people in the right positions Putting the right people in the right positions is overwhelmingly ranked as the number one factor considered most likely to improve overall sales force effectiveness. Senior level sales management participating in the 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness survey ranked this as 15% more influential than the survey population as a whole. In fact, the ability to have the right people in the right positions is up to ten times more likely to impact sales results than other talent-related dimension of sales effectiveness analyzed, including recruitment and retention. Putting the right people in the right positions isn’t subjective. You must have a formalized process that quantitatively assesses the strengths and capabilities of each individual team member. The ability to absorb product knowledge, business acumen, or specific industry experience are all really good. But to make really smart, talent-based decisions, you must understand the inherent strengths of an individual and put them in positions that leverage those strengths. Consider the qualities and strengths of “hunters.” The have the strengths required to pursue the right kind of business and appreciate higher than average close ratios. Does everyone in your sales organization tasked with prospecting new business share the traits required for success? What about “farmers.” These are the people in account management that excel at developing relationships and find reward in building long-term rapport and value with the client. Are these salespeople in positions and roles most aligned with their strengths? Sales Effectiveness Relevant Data Points 60% of survey respondents believe their organization has the right talent within the selling organization 54% of survey respondents believe these talented people are in the right positions 34% of the survey respondents feel an adequate process exists for recruiting and hiring qualified talent to join the sales team 54% of survey respondents admit the talent in their sales force is under utilized More about our human resource management solutions for increasing sales force effectiveness here.
The 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness Study illustrates activities widely recognized as posing the greatest challenge for sales organizations to achieve. Of the 45 dimensions of sales force effectiveness explored, there is strong consensus among both executive level management and field-level professionals regarding which activities pose the greatest difficulty. The following is a ranking of the top five most difficult sales success related challenges:
Sales Organization Relevant Data Points
Ranking of the top three activities considered to have the greatest impact in contributing to overall sales effectiveness
The 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness Study identifies those activities considered by winning sales organizations to have the greatest impact toward improving the overall productivity and effectiveness of their selling organizations. The study defined “winning sales organizations” as those respondents indicating improved sales performance in 2003 compared to 2002 results. Nearly half of all respondents to the survey represented “winning sales organizations.”
Analysis of survey responses from this population revealed activities considered to have the greatest impact toward achieving improved performance. Of the 45 different dimensions of sales effectiveness analyzed, winning sales organizations ranked the following three activities as most likely to have the greatest impact toward improving sales force effectiveness.
#1 Ranked Activity: The ability to place the right people in the right positions
Putting the right people in the right positions is overwhelmingly ranked as the number one factor considered most likely to improve overall sales force effectiveness. Senior level sales management participating in the 2004 Miller Heiman Sales Effectiveness survey ranked this as 15% more influential than the survey population as a whole.
In fact, the ability to have the right people in the right positions is up to ten times more likely to impact sales results than other talent-related dimension of sales effectiveness analyzed, including recruitment and retention.
Putting the right people in the right positions isn’t subjective. You must have a formalized process that quantitatively assesses the strengths and capabilities of each individual team member. The ability to absorb product knowledge, business acumen, or specific industry experience are all really good. But to make really smart, talent-based decisions, you must understand the inherent strengths of an individual and put them in positions that leverage those strengths.
Consider the qualities and strengths of “hunters.” The have the strengths required to pursue the right kind of business and appreciate higher than average close ratios. Does everyone in your sales organization tasked with prospecting new business share the traits required for success?
What about “farmers.” These are the people in account management that excel at developing relationships and find reward in building long-term rapport and value with the client. Are these salespeople in positions and roles most aligned with their strengths?
Profile XT Sales™ The ProfileXTSales through its innovative JobFit™ technology, measures essential data an employer needs to the most effective sales talent acquisition and retention decisions. The ProfileXTSales employs advanced online technology that helps sales leaders predict job suitability and accurately match salespeople with the work they do. Technical Specs: Solves these challenges: Deciding which salespeople to promote, Hiring salespeople with low productivity, High sales talent turnover, Ineffective sales training, Poor communication, Organizational identity confusion, Interdepartmental conflict, Profitability issues Used For: Predicting sales success, Increasing revenue, Sales team placement, Sales person promotion and fit, Sales team succession planning, Sales coaching, Self improvement, and Avoiding turnover costs Measures: Thinking and reasoning, Behavioral characteristics and Occupational interests Areas Measured: Learning index, Verbal skill, Verbal reasoning, Numerical ability, Numeric reasoning, Energy level, Assertiveness, Sociability, Manageability, Attitude, Decisiveness, Accommodating, Independence, Objective judgment, Enterprising, Financial, People service, Creative, Technical, Mechanical Time to Take: 50 minutes Administration: Online or Pencil / Paper Report Types: 9 Different Reports Results Turnaround: Immediate More about the ProfileXTSales here.
Profiles Sales Indicator Sales Assessment Profiles Sales Indicator sales assessment is a tool for selecting, managing, and training salespeople. It measures five key qualities of successful salespeople and predicts performance in seven critical sales behaviors. Technical Specs: Solves these challenges: Poor sales production, Inability to prospect effectively, Customer call reluctance, Failure to close sales Used For: Placement, Promotion fit, Succession planning, Coaching, and Self improvement Measures: Five key qualities that make successful salespeople. Predicts performance in seven critical sales behaviors. Areas Measured: Persistence, Self reliance, Energy, Sales drive, Competence, Prospecting, Closing sales, Call reluctance, Self starting, Teamwork, Building and maintaining relationships, Compensation preference Time to Take: 15 - 20 minutes Administration: Online or Pencil / Paper Report Types: 2 Different Reports Results Turnaround: Immediate More about the Profiles Sales Indicator here.
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