Here is an interesting quote from my favourite American author, salesman, and motivational speaker, the late Zig Ziglar:
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days”
Of all the ways that a manager can use to provide direction to his sales team, pipeline management is key for two main reasons:
- Managing your pipeline will have a direct effect on improved conversion so it’s time well spent
- Having a clean and accurate pipeline, makes reporting on new sales much easier and safer
But how do you go about ensuring your salespeople are managing their pipeline well? It might be an idea to consider the issues they are facing first; as I see it these are the main ones:
- Poor time management. Salespeople are not always the most organised and spend many hours of unproductive time on the road
- Lack of clarity and strategy. Salespeople are often bombarded with new tools, information and training but do not necessarily spend any time building their own strategy and plans.
- Self-preservation. Many salespeople use their pipeline as a shield to hide any issues they might be having. Many assume that if they can claim to achieve a ‘mega deal’ this year, all will be well.
So, what can you do to help your team then? Here are my key tips for sale pipeline management:
Tackle the busy fools in your team:
- Review their schedules and help them develop a regular weekly plan or a default diary
- Ensure they include productive office time in their week
- Make them accountable through weekly reporting
Introduce individual quarterly strategies:
- Provide some planning training and mentoring
- Create a unified template
- Share good examples across the team
- Make the weekly reporting session based on their plan
Stop the fantasy culture in your team:
- Pay higher bonuses to timely signed deals
- Ensure they have other opportunities which they can prioritise in case the big one is delayed
- Introduce a ‘no fear’ culture where everyone can come clean and get help
- Celebrate failure as a key way to learn and move on
I realise these tips are not actually referring directly to pipeline management but in my opinion, these are the key behaviours that, managed well, can make a difference across the board. YBDT can help you consider how to train your sales team and provide them with the right tools. Click here for more details or get in touch.