Let’s start by saying that busy doesn’t necessarily mean effective.
One of the most common complaints from sales teams doing poorly is that there’s not enough hours in the day to make phone calls, follow up leads, source new leads, or create effective pitches.
In our experience, more often than not, this is just an excuse masking laziness and poor time management.
The difference between success and failure can be influenced by how effectively time is used. We all get the same 24 hours, so if your sales people are telling you that there’s not enough time then it’s time to identify the real issues and sift through the drainers within the team.
Time management
In contrast, people with poor time management skills waste time on the unimportant things that ultimately will not contribute to converting a lead. These same people are prone to procrastination – a killer of performance. Charles Dickens and David Copperfield summed it up by saying “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him”.
So, if a member of your sales team complains that they don’t have enough time to convert their leads into sales, “collar them” – look at how they are utilising their time and if the business is actually benefiting, or is simply being drained by a dead resource. Chances are that there are bigger underlying issues that need to be addressed.
Sharpen the focus
There are so many distractions floating around that it can be hard to sit down and focus, and importantly keep your team focused. However, this is not an excuse for deflated sales results. The great sales performers and leaders focus on the target and concentrate on how best to achieve it.
How long does it take your team to perform their daily admin tasks? Are they focused on the end goal or distracted by surrounding interferences?
Ongoing evaluation and reinforcement of daily targets should be established to keep the team on track.
Priorities and delegation
Are your sales people typing reports, filing, responding to unnecessary emails and taking long meetings rather than being on the phone following up leads? The number one priority for the sales team is to generate leads and convert them to sales.
Other tasks can be delegated to the administration or management team so the sales team can focus on what they are there to do – sell!
Sales management training and coaching
At the end of the day, when sales teams blame poor sales on not having enough time in the day, it is usually a case of lacking focus, poor sales management or poor time management, or perhaps they are just not the right person for the role.
Focused, driven and passionate salespeople achieve goals. Time is money so don’t let it be drained by underperforming team members.
KONA Group specialises in a wide range of services that address sales performance and sales management, executive and leadership coaching, and performance and time management. These customised training and coaching programs drill down to the core of the issue and drive solutions through proven methodologies.
For more information, please email info@kona.com.au or call 1300 611 288.
