Improving Your Sales Team Part One

Good sales people are the cornerstone of most successful companies. Therefore, from the point of company formation it is important that the sales people representing your company are trained well. In this series of posts, we give you our twenty top trips on how to improve your sales team
The truth of the matter is, that even if the most successful sales team experience bad times. The most important thing  all business owner/managers need to understand is that no matter what has caused the rut – whether it is a consequence of the recession or bad simply down to performance – there is always something you can to do to motivate your team:
1. Explain the importance of talking to the right person
According to Mike Hudson, founder of JWH, “The most important part of any sales strategy, it to ensure that you are talking to the person who has the power to make decisions. A lot of salespeople tend to position their contact lower down the corporate hierarchy, as they feel the call will be easier.”

According to Hudson, they couldn’t be more wrong; “The decision maker is much more likely to listen to your proposition as they have the authority to close the deal.”
2. Pay Attention to Detail
The number one rule of any sales pitch is to check and check again. Nothing will put a potential client off more, than slopping spelling, inaccuracy or poor grammar. It undermines your brand integrity and makes prospects think that you will adopt the same laid back approach when dealing with their company.
3. Listen, Listen, Listen.
According to Hudson, “ Salespeople tend to think the more they talk, the less time a potential client will have to say no, get swept up in their patter and close the deal. They couldn’t be more wrong. What all salespeople should do from the initial point of contact, is listen to what a client wants, establishing how they can provide a solution and explaining how they can deliver it.”