What key performance indicators (KPIs) should I track for my sales team?
Traditional metrics to track include conversion rates, sales cycle length, and customer acquisition cost. Rep activity metrics like the number of calls, emails, or meetings are also typically tracked, as is quota attainment.
These are important to keep an eye on, but leading indicators are just as valuable to look at — if not more so. For instance, you might want to track multi-threaded deals, meetings completed with ICP, Director+ contacts, and pricing discussions. Tracking these KPIs may yield better results.
Similar questions
What technology tools are essential for managing a sales team?
There are a handful of teams that sales teams of every size need. To start, a CRM is essential. It can manage leads, track interactions, and provide baselines forecasting and reporting. From there, collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom facilitate internal alignment. Lastly, sales engagement tools and sales data tools are needed to scale outbounding, identify leads, and capture activity and intent data.
As sales teams get bigger and their deals get more complex, revenue intelligence tools become necessary. They provide key insights into sales performance that support data-driven decision-making. These tools often use AI to detect insights that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Other less essential but still helpful sales tools include learning management systems (LMSs), specialized forecasting software, and sales chatbots.
What sales methodology should I use?
The right sales methodology depends on a lot of circumstances. Consider your industry, target audience, product, and sales team, and choose the methodology that makes the most sense for you.
Some common ones include SPIN Selling, Challenger, BANT, and MEDDIC/MEDDPICC. SPIN is great for complex sales that require you to uncover a lot about the customer before making the sale. Challenger is good if you have reps who can guide the customer’s decision-making process. BANT is more straightforward, and primarily helps in prioritizing leads. MEDDIC/MEDDPICC and well-suited for complex B2B sales with lengthy sales cycles. Ultimately, choose what works best for your situation.
What is the ideal sales team structure for our orgranization?
There is no such things as the “ideal sales team structure,” but there are some best practices and common strategies. Ultimately, the size and structure of your team depend on your organizational goals and resources.
To start, look for sales leadership (Directors and VPs) to provide overall leadership, set strategic direction and oversee sales operations. Under them, assign sales managers and team leads to manage and support individual sellers. Much of the coaching, guidance, and mentoring takes place at this level. Note that a CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) isn’t always immediately necessary when building out a sales team. Consider waiting for the right time and right person to fill that strategic role.
Depending on your GTM strategy, you might want an Inside Sales team. BDRs/SDRs there focus on prospecting with cold calling and emailing, qualifying leads, and passing them on to AEs.
Outside Sales includes AEs and Fields Sales. They’re responsible for managing and closing deals, often acting as the “lead” in a deal and even spending time on the road to meet clients in person.
Solution Engineers are helpful in more complex sales or more technical products. They can work alongside AEs to develop custom solutions and presentations.
Sales and revenue operations then manage the sales process, analyze data for better decision-making, and ensure the sales team has the necessary tools and resources.
Finally, consider a dedicated sales enablement position to provide the sales team with continuous training, skill development, and collaboration with product and marketing.
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