Seven Signs That Prove Your Sales Process is Working

Rolling out a new sales process is not easy.  It takes a lot of planning, research, communication and flat out hard work.  Despite all there is to understanding sales process, deploying a sales process is a very important task because the payoff, when done properly, is significant.  A study conducted by CSO Insights showed that companies with a dynamic sales process won 53% of their forecasted deals compared to 43% of sales teams who do things “ad hoc.”  All other things being equal, rigorous sales process management yields 10% more output from a sales force. 

If you’re wondering if and how a sales process could impact sales results within your IT staffing organization just take a look at some of the results our customers have experienced from implementing a sales process:

• 150% increase in opening new accounts (over prior QTR)
• Increase in sales win rates by 12%
• Increase average sales price (hourly bill rate) by 11%
• Ability to accurately and confidently forecast revenue
• Increased sales win rates by 9%

The key to improving sales performance and ultimately scaling your business model is to invest in increasing the overall effectiveness or your sales organization.  As the CSO study proves, sales teams that sell in the same consistent manner are far more likely to consistently hit their quota than sales teams that don't.  When sales reps consistently follow a sales process, predicting sales performance and forecasting revenue becomes much easier.  In fact, it becomes predictable.  But how do you know if your sales process is actually working and making an impact?

In this blog post I share with you seven signs that prove your sales process is working.

Seven Signs That Prove Your Sales Process is Working

Sales Process Adoption & Utilization

Are you sales reps following and using your sales process? If your sales reps are not following your sales process then you may have management problem.  On the other hand your sales reps might not be following your sales process because they simply don’t believe in your sales process.  Salespeople and especially top performers will not follow a process simply to "check the box."  Your process needs to account for the realities of current market conditions and help sales reps hit their quota quicker and with less effort. Your goal should be to have 90% of your salesforce following your sales process. Questions to ask include:

• Are (90% or more) my sales reps documenting their opportunities consistently?
• Are deals being managed and updated in a timely fashion?
• Are my reps opportunities (job orders) in the correct stage of the sales cycle and are they being updated accordingly?
• Can my reps forecast their deals by using objective, verifiable data where they have eliminated “gut feel” for their means for sales forecasting?

If you have a low sales process adoption rate than you need to talk to your sales team and find out why and iterate accordingly.

Conversion Rates

By measuring the number of opportunities (job orders) in each stage of your sales pipeline and what percentage in each stage convert “down the funnel,” you get a clear sense of how effectively your reps are qualifying deals and compelling the buyer to take the next step in their purchasing process.  If 90% of your salesforce is converting 40% or more their deals from the current stage to the next stage in your sales funnel then your sales process is working mighty fine for you.  If on the other hand you have deals that get stuck in your sales process for weeks or months then it may be time to revisit your sales process and what your reps are doing to execute each stage.

Sales Win Rates

Are your sales reps improving their sales win rates? A well designed, buyer-aligned sales process will improve sales win rates.  You will want to look at each of your sales rep’s sales win rate percentage.  Look at their win rate prior to rolling out your sales process and post sales process roll out.  If their sales win rates are going up that is a strong sign your sales process is working for you. Track and measure your reps sales win rate percentages on a monthly basis.

Sales Pipeline and Forecast Accuracy

Is your pipeline-based sales forecast within 10% of reality?  If so, that is a great sign that your sales reps and your sales process is aligned and in sync with how your buyers buy. Accurate forecasting is also an indicator that your sales reps are following (adopting) the sales process. 

Length of Sales Cycle 

A well designed sales process that is aligned with how your buyers buy will accelerate your sales cycle.  A sales cycle that gets shorter in duration also proves that your sales reps are providing the right information and sending the right message to the buyer for each stage of the sales process including each stage of the buyer journey.  In essence you’re removing friction and eliminating wasted sales cycles.

Increase in Deal Size

Has your average deal size increased? If so, this is a strong indication that your process and your sales reps are helping customers recognize needs.  The process (and your sales methodology) is supporting your sales reps to sell on value, not on price.

Increase in overall quota attainment

Are you seeing an increase in overall quota attainment? As noted in the CSO Insights study, a well- designed sales process that is actively managed and monitored will increase overall quota attainment. If more of your sales reps are meeting and exceeding quota than you know your sales process is making an impact.

Final Word of Caution-You Must Actively Monitor, Measure and Update Your Sales Process

Keep in mind that simply configuring your CRM/ATS tool to reflect the stages of your sales process and your buyer’s journey is NOT going to deliver your desired results.  Sales leaders must actively monitor and measure the effectiveness of their sales process by maintaining a continuous feedback loop with their sales reps and customers.  Your sales process is a living, breathing entity and it will continue to evolve over time.  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that creating a sales process is a “one time event.”

How confident  are you in your sales process? What key performance indicators are you tracking to measure the effectiveness of your sales process?

If you want to improve sales performance, download the free eBook titled "The Definitive Guide to Building a Buyer Aligned Sales Process."