en
Skip to main contentWhen you’re looking to grow your business, your sales teams are more important than ever. These three strategies could give your sales teams the edge they need to help you meet your organization’s growth objectives.
Read on to find out how.
Your sales team’s success starts with hiring and developing strong sales leaders, says Adam Thorp, APAC Senior Partner and sales effectiveness expert at Korn Ferry. Unfortunately, many companies promote sales leaders because they’re top sellers rather than for their leadership skills.
In many cases, the people who secure the most sales in a short period do not make the best APAC sales managers. Instead, it’s often those who consistently perform well, because they bring a more balanced approach—one that is underpinned by a clear understanding of what works in all types of sales climates. They tend to be better at developing long-term relationships with clients and their teammates.
Setting up a high-performing team takes great leadership and the right training. “Leaders who get this right start by working out what the DNA of a high-performing seller looks like, through analysis, assessment and performance,” says Thorp.
The right leader understands when and how to coach their team members to help them learn the tips and tricks of the highest performers, and they adjust their approach to each person. They invest in training and development to address skills gaps. And they supplement this with sales manager-led dynamic coaching to boost performance, quota attainment, win rates, and lower voluntary attrition.
Top-performing organizations put their customers at the center of everything they do—from talent strategy to sales processes, sales operating model, and organizational structure.
Sales teams that understand how customers buy and continually modify their processes to align with the buyer’s journey find it easier to articulate solutions and negotiate more effectively. But only 3% of APAC organizations are doing this, according to our 2024 Sales Maturity Survey.
“Every journey will be different, which is why you need a dynamic sales process. We see that companies with a dynamic sales process aligned to the buyer report 11% higher quota attainment and 25% higher win rates,” says Thorp.
Compensation plans play a critical role in motivating the right behaviors in sales teams.
If your business is going through a tough sales patch, it’s easy to fall into the trap of creating compensation plans that drive a short-term uptick in sales. But this short-sighted approach can have detrimental effects in the long term, including a focus on easy-to-sell products, poor customer service, and lower margins.
Your sales compensation plan should motivate your people to behave a certain way—whether that’s selling more products, retaining current customers, or acquiring new ones. Our sales survey revealed that 62% of top sales teams have compensation plans aligned to their sales strategy—compared with just 32% of their peers.
“If your organization’s strategy is on selling solutions and value, but your salespeople are paid transactionally, you’re not likely to succeed,” says Thorp. “When you have a compensation plan that aligns with your strategy, you can drive the right behaviors, boost performance and win rates, and reduce staff turnover.”
Breakthrough to immediate, predictable and sustainable sales effectiveness
To discover the eight sales techniques best-in-class organizations around the world use to achieve—and exceed—their targets, download the 2024 Sales Maturity ebook.
Stay on top of the latest leadership news with This Week in Leadership - delivered weekly to your inbox.
