4 Tips to Transform Your Sales Organization

I’m now in my mid-thirties and like you I have heard, read, and responded to countless questions related to the word “transform” or “transformation”. Often the question comes in the form of “How do I transform my sales organization to achieve better results?”

Many use the word “transformation” in the context of redefining an existing state. The actual definition is as follows:

trans·for·ma·tion (noun)

Definition: a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.

Synonyms: alteration, change, conversion, overhaul, rebuilding, redoing, renewal, remodeling, reorganization, reshaping, revamp, revolution, reworking

Example: “The transformation of the sales department has been dramatic”

In the context of sales organizations, companies like 3M, Paycor, Graham Media, and Square continue to transform their businesses to stay at the top of their respective industries.

Historically, organizations have gone through significant change management efforts to help their company achieve its revenue goals, grow market share, fend off competitors, and improve customer satisfaction. While these efforts can be disruptive (in a good way), when done properly they empower salespeople to be more successful in their role, grow their career, and achieve greater financial success (hitting quota, larger commissions, etc.).

With LevelEleven I have had the had the privilege to work with dozens of sales leaders at leading companies who all started with the same question:

“How do I transform my sales organization?”

Here are some of the common themes I identified from those discussions:

1. Develop a consistent and structured sales process
2. Design or re-design your sales effectiveness programs
3. Streamline your sales technology stack and integrate everything with your CRM
4. Create sales manager effectiveness and coaching programs
5. Establish an employee recognition and rewards strategy
6. Drive sales engagement via Mobile and existing CRM usage

4 Tips to Transform Your Sales Organization

After reviewing the common themes listed above, we can then simplify these points into a few key items.

1. Protect and maximize your CRM investment
2. Maximize your largest expense allocation – your investment in your salespeople and front line sales managers
3. Reinforce and drive action around key steps in your sales process and CRM
4. Once you have the first 3 in place, automate existing sales processes and reporting

3 Companies Who Transformed Their Sales Organizations

Here are a few examples to keep in mind the next time you ask yourself: “How do I transform my sales organization and improve performance?”

1. Paycor needed to manage their high velocity sales team in real time. After their transformation they increased key account meetings by 55% and cut their sales onboarding time in half.
2. Jackson National Life Insurance transformed their sales team into a technology-enabled, proactive sales force and increased calls to key account by 31%.
3. Everbridge instituted a structured and consistent sales coaching process, which led to a 33% increase in conversations.

So now that you are armed with these tips and success stories, how will you transform your sales organization heading into the end of the year?