What’s the first step to fixing a problem? Acknowledging that there is one. When it comes to sales, you might think things are black and white. After all, you’ll always have the numbers to refer to. But, by the time problems in your sales team start to be reflected in the figures, it’s already too late. Make sure you catch issues before they damage your bottom line. Here are 5 ways to spot a failing sales team strategy.
1. Engagement
Are your sales team putting out social media posts, only to receive very little engagement? If likes and comments are always minimal, then the content is ineffective. On the flip side, content that generates excessive negative attention will also damage sales. Sure, more people will see it, but, for all the wrong reasons. Bad takes and controversial posts create a negative brand image that will leave your target audience actively avoiding you.
Social media is a great tool for lead generation. But, if engagement is routinely low or excessively negative, then your strategy is off.
2. The Fish Pond
You know what they say: there’s plenty of fish in the sea. The same can be said about sales. There will always be people out there who want what you’re offering. The problem is, to find them, you also have to be in the sea.
That’s why a tell-tale sign of a failing sales team is when they continue to target the same people. Established customers are already aware of what you can offer them, so teams should stop exhausting time and resources. When sales strategies are stuck targeting the same old people, potential leads will soon run dry.
3. Fruitless meetings
There is no point in your sales team filling their calendars with meetings if they never come to anything. Not every meeting will lead to a sale, but if this becomes the norm, then there’s something wrong. One possibility is that your team are not properly qualifying leads. Why waste time on meetings with people who do not have the funds or authority to purchase your services? This is a sure sign of a failing sales strategy.
4. Frustrations Run High
Are sales team members always stressed? Don’t ignore it. Small hurdles are to be expected, but when teams are faced with a multitude of issues each and every day, frustrations can boil over. Recurring problems suggest a fundamental flaw in your sales team strategy, which could leave your team exasperated. Not only will this negatively impact performance, but could also lead to a high staff turnover. Frustrated team members are often the result of much bigger issues.
5. Spontaneity
The whole point of strategising is to provide a successful structure for your team to work from. That’s why spontaneous actions should be a cause for concern. Why has the team member taken this approach? If there is no clear line of logic, then it suggests they are simply making it up as they go along.
Spontaneous actions skew sales predictions and, even when an approach is successful, it will be impossible to replicate. If your team is resorting to spontaneity, it is likely because of a seriously lacking sales strategy.
A failing sales team strategy will:
- Waste time
- Waste resources
- Miss out on sales
- Sink your profit margins
That’s why you need to identify a failing strategy early. By recognising these 5 tell-tale signs, you’ll not only be able to identify exactly where the problem lies but have the chance to change things before the failing sales team strategy can do any more damage.