Is it me or is the saying “it’s a numbers game” an overly-simplistic statement regarding a grossly inefficient tactic?  Weight lifting is a numbers game.  Sales and marketing is not.  Some instances where this statement is applied:

• cold-calling
• networking
• job searching
• mailers
• invitations

I’m sure there are other examples but those stand out in my mind.  There is a modicum of truth to the statement.  Yet, it lacks the strategic aspect needed in today’s market.  This throw away line is often the dismissive final comment from a person whom lacks a formal strategy and/or has reached the end of his or her tactical moves.

What about adjusting the approach, shifting tactics or rethinking the entire task?  These thoughts are viewed as over-analyzing a simple task.  Cold-calling, for instance, does require a salesperson to make the calls (and many salespeople won’t).  But lacking strategy and tactics on the call leads to a colossal waste of time.  In that instance, it is not a numbers game.

Today’s information age requires salespeople who have the ability to speak at an informed level.  The days of cold-calling a VP and asking, “What does your company do?” are gone.  Salespeople need to have a cursory understanding of their prospect’s business and even to some extent, the challenges that company is facing in the market.

Obviously the greatest cold-calling tactic will be pointless if the salesperson does not make the calls.  However, there are certain aspects that a salesperson can use in his or her approach.  Plan the call, have a toolbox to handle common situations and focus on the quality of the call before the quantity.

As a sales manager, don’t use the throw away numbers line on your sales team.  If you are struggling with the format of the call or coaching your team, we can help. 

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Successful selling requires excellence – in talent, ability, communication amongst other factors.  Successful sales management requires pursuing excellence in each team member.  Unfortunately, many sales managers are able to define failure in the position but they find defining success to be far more elusive.

When running our hiring process, we see this play out time and again.  Sales managers are adept at describing past failures in exquisite detail.  There is value in this knowledge so we gladly record it.

However, the conversation almost always slows down when we turn our focus to success.  The obvious answers are provided – revenue goals, customer acquisition, etc.  But what about the traits, behaviors and skills that lead to success in the position?  These topics often lead to the sales manager squirming in their seat.

Here is where we start:

This formula is difficult for sales managers to complete since no 2 sales go down the same way.  Yet, the sales manager must have a general understanding of this formula based on experience.  It is still surprising how many sales managers we encounter who cannot supply the numbers for these boxes.

Here is why this is important – if you know the numbers to close 1 sale, you can build the skills and traits needed to be successful in that sale.  One thing is for sure, you cannot ask a new salesperson to do something 10, 20, 50, 100 times that you cannot clearly define 1 time.

The information in the above graphic allows the sales manager to search for excellence.  The skills, traits, style, rewards and motivations necessary to succeed all start with an understanding of that one simple formula.

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