Objective Feedback for the Sales Team

The sales VP, CSO or manager is almost always in the unenviable position of having to attempt to apply science to the art of selling.

Now, that’s not quite as fair a statement as it may have been years ago. Today, plenty of science exists around the sales effort. CRM systems, consultants, performance measurements, evaluations and quota attainment are all part of the toolkit available to create improvement in sales performance.

One component that is often overlooked, or at least, measured in an inefficient manner is performance feedback taken straight from the prospect and client. Most would refer to this as win loss analysis.

Too often, sales managers conduct a debrief with a sales rep or account manager to try to understand why they lost a specific deal in their pipeline. Really, what is the incentive of a sales rep to explain where he was unable to communicate value? And, even if integrity is not an issue, how can a sales rep possibly understand all of the client-side dynamics that were in play? Is the game of sales not unlike a shell game with both parties withholding some bits of information until divulgence is absolutely necessary? Price and competitive positioning come to mind as items that may or may not be shared in complete openness.

So, even if your sales reps are willing to participate in a post-sales interview, the story is obviously going to be influenced by the sales rep’s perception of the dynamics. While something is often better than nothing, are the perceptions of a sales rep valuable enough to be productive?

For 2008, you should consider a formal feedback process such as win loss. It makes sense to understand the sales team’s performance from the only perspective that matters; the one who is in a position to write you a check.

If done properly, a win loss program will provide you with an objective point of view, comparisons with the competition, evaluation of value proposition and a measurement of the expected impact of sales and marketing ideas versus their actual outcome.

Sure, the process costs a little money and will require a bit of time to completely implement. But, the upside is very lucrative. What if this type of feedback were to increase your sales win rate by 5-10% over a year’s time? What would the additional revenues mean? What would the additional profits be? Would 5-10% increased effectiveness (with the same people) make a difference in market share?

Just some thoughts to consider as plans are being made for 2008. Look for objective feedback and learn from your prospects.