Sales reps are interesting creatures. If asked, most would tell you that they want the freedom to do what they want, when they want to do it. However, if left to their own devices, your sales team would probably do whatever made sense to them at a moment without much of a plan. Obviously this is why management of your sales team is important; but just as important as managing your team’s deals is coaching them to come up with a plan of attach for each deal, and also a plan on how to reach their goals.
A good way to do this is to have your reps attempt to outline this plan in writing, telling them to try and work backwards from their monthly, quarterly, or even yearly goals. In a recent article on Sales2.com, Lee Salz discusses how to help your sales reps develop a framework for their sales plan. Lee describes how you can give them some structure for the plan by showing them the different components the plan should contain. These include sections on current accounts, top prospects, tracking sales metrics, sales training, and needs of the sales rep. While listing current accounts and prospects is important, also having the rep outline how he/she plans to retain and develop current accounts as well as how they plan to gain more insight into prospects is just as critical. Down the road when they feel a prospect slipping away, they can turn back to their written plan which can help them determine which steps to take to help win the prospect back.
Tracking sales metrics is also important because it will allow the rep to see where they are having the most success, and where they are wasting their time. It is essential to have the method of recording outlined in the plan so that the rep can develop a routine for recording the metrics.
Training is important to have in the plan because this gives the rep a schedule they will have to stick to since their manager also sees their plan and knows when they are due for training and in what areas. While the rep might not like this part, you can rationalize it as a show of good faith to management and executives that they are constantly trying to improve themselves. They don’t necessarily need to plan out every training session that they will attend, but instead they should dedicate a certain amount of hours to training.
Lastly, the rep should include their individual needs for the time period the plan represents. This can include needs from the company, what assistance they will need from you (their manager), and what potential roadblocks they might face. This will allow you to have time to prepare and remedy any potential barriers that the sales rep might have in the way of achieving his/her goal.
In addition to these long term plans, consider having the rep write up a general plan of attack for winning over prospects and for retaining customers. Have them outline the process step by step, from how they acquire information about the prospect, to frequency of calling/emailing/leaving voicemails, and finally on when and how to close. These are your sales reps; the more adequately you prepare them the better the chance they, and in turn you as the manager, will have at succeeding.