Like every company out there, start-ups and privately-owned companies are worried about the impact of the current economic situation. The #1 priority is figuring out how to keep the business afloat with limited people and financial resources.
Most owners or founders have not ever led a sales team during a crisis – and are unsure how to lead, motivate, and drive the activities necessary to capture new revenue. What made your team successful during the past 3 years will not work in the current economic climate. Do you have experienced Sales Reps? Are you positioned with the right strategy and process to effectively sell in a crisis?
Cutting costs will not address the lack of revenue. To survive, you are going to have to sell your way out or risk going out of business.
But let’s be honest, due to the thriving economy of the past few years, there are a lot of companies out there who were successful in spite of themselves. They hired and held on to, “B” and “C” players, they didn’t have a formal or consistent sales process, they didn’t have experienced sales leaders, and they weren’t actively growing the revenue of their existing customers or worrying about churn. These companies are now painfully aware that part of their success was the booming economy and not their formal sales process and experienced sales reps.
Selling your way out of this situation is going to require the following:
- Strong sales leadership
- The very best sales reps.
- A formal sales process and strategy
- A successful pivot strategy
- Grit and a strong work ethic
If you’ve been acting as the sales leader or maybe you’ve had to let your sales leader go now’s the time to consider an interim/fractional sales leader. Someone who can come in with a fresh set of eyes and make impactful changes in a short amount of time.
Here are questions you should be asking yourself:
- Do I have someone who has led during an economic downturn?
- Is my team comprised of “A” players?
- Do I truly understand how to tell the difference between a Hunter and an Account Manager/Customer Success Rep?
- Does my sales team have a formal sales process they believe in, follow, and that has proved successful?
- Are my Reps being coached regularly, including call monitoring?
Sales Acceleration Group ensures that small and mid-sized businesses not only survive this period but also comes out of it in growth mode. Our Interim Sales Leadership services provide the hands-on sales expertise, the right strategy, and the sales process to drive the sales team, so you, the founder, can focus on product pivots, financial decisions, and customer retention. Our program gets more out of your existing sales team, builds an immediate sales strategy, and installs a sales process that will extend beyond the current situation.