Modern sales leaders, we know you have a tough job. Can you think of any other profession with an average tenure of less than two years?
This is especially true at the end of the year, when so much is on the line. Your CEO wants good revenue numbers. Your reps want time off with their families. You just want to keep your job.
We understand and empathize with you. It’s rough. Here are eight major feelings you can totally relate to right now (told in GIFs from “A Christmas Story”).
8 feelings modern sales leaders are experiencing right now
1. Excitement
You defined the right sales metrics this year. The sales team is aligned around them. Because you have an activity-based sales forecast that directly back to the controllable actions of your sales team, you’ve hit quota every quarter this year.
You, your sales team and your CEO are all excited to close out an amazing year.
That is, until you look at your weekly CRM dashboard.
2. Distress
A big deal didn’t close last week. What’s going on? Your rep sent that proposal weeks ago, and she should have gotten something back by now. What’s more, your team is behind on the number of proposals they’ve sent this month.
3. Anxiety
The metrics don’t lie: Your team is no longer on pace to hit sales goals. There’s less than a month left in the year and — barring a miracle — you’ll have to tell your CEO that you can’t make quota this quarter.
4. Frustration
Why didn’t the CRM report tell you that earlier? Shouldn’t you be able to manage sales activities in real time? You can’t fix performance with lagging indicators!
5. Shame
What will your boss say? What about your team? Your family?
7. Determination
No. You won’t back down. You got this job because you’re a modern sales leader who knows how to course-correct sales performance, even if it’s at the last minute.
You figure out what deals can move from next month to this one. You re-calculate the activity goals your team needs to hit before Dec. 31. You coach and rally your entire team around writing stellar proposals that get quick responses.
8. Accomplishment
In the end, your hard work pays off. Not only does the missing deal close after your rep sends the new proposal, but a few quick spiffs help your team get back on track with their proposal metric goals.
Your activity-based selling strategy allows you to course-correct performance before it’s too late. What’s more, it’s helping you set sales goals for 2017. Because you’re driving revenue with metrics, you know it’ll be another great year. Cheers to you, modern sales leaders.
