Last month I wrote about the virtues of applying elite level sporting measurement (AFL, NRL) to the B2B sales setting.  I want to extend  the theme this month and enrich the point I made regarding the value of rigorous, objective and scientific measurement for the sales organisation.  And keep some link to my elite level sporting analogy.

Recently I heard one of the leading coaches being interviewed about the team’s winning score.  The commentator was very focussed on the score that the team had kicked for the game, the winning margin…..in goals and points…….the quarter by quarter progress scores…..in goals and points.  The winning coach recalibrated the conversation by directing the dialogue to the team’s culture which features focussing on the process, and letting the goals and points take care of themselves.

Scoring individuals for high performance therefore begins with measuring the small number of critical activity inputs.  For the sales organisation, this means measuring the value adding visit  activities………..and measuring the reduction of value destroying  activities.  Driving the behaviour towards the right activity input mix, segues to measuring desired process outputs.  For the sales organisation, this means measuring the number/rate of prospect conversions (prospects converted to new clients) and the number/rate of client conversions (clients who convert you to preferred supplier status).

Driving the behaviour towards the right activity inputs to produce the desired process outputs segues to measuring financial outcomes.  This closes the loop, and shows the relationship between activity inputs, process outputs and financial outcomes.  And what activity focus to reinforce and what to change and do differently.

As such, every player in the team (every Sales Exec in the sales organisation) needs to have their own version of their team standard suite of measures.  Optimally, 4-8 activity input indicators; 2-6 process output indicators; 2-4 financial outcome indicators (click here for a tailorable model).

Then the sales organisation can amplify the benefit by flipping the scoreboard design on its side to present the data as league tables.  But that is another story for next month ………

Visiting The Next Level’s website can help put this discussion in perspective. Or simply send us a message info@nextleveenterprises.biz and we will gladly answer any questions you may have or organise to come out and have a discussion as to what The Next Level Sales System can do for you and your business.