Defining the Path to Success…

At e4enable, we are obsessed with sales competencies and defining what good looks like for our customers. But this isn’t always easy to pinpoint…

Here’s a process that we use to start uncovering that path to greatness:

Try working your way backwards from the desired outcome...

🕵️‍♀️ How will you know you've been successful with your sales transformation?

👨‍💼 We will have increased our SaaS revenue by x%

🕵️‍♀️ What are the indicators that will give you comfort you are on your way there?

👨‍💼 We will begin to see the revenue balance shift from on premise to SaaS.

🕵️‍♀️ And before that?

👨‍💼 We will see SaaS pipeline grow.

🕵️‍♀️ And before that?

👨‍💼 We will start to see successful meeting outcomes in this type of client...

🕵️‍♀️ OK, so in your experience, what would your sales rep be doing to drive a successful meeting outcome?

👨‍💼 Well, first they would be identifying the right prospects...

🕵️‍♀️ Then what?

👨‍💼 Then they would be asking probing questions around the cost and risk of an on premise solution. They would be digging into the challenges around upgrades.

🕵️‍♀️ What else?

👨‍💼 They would be highlighting customer stories who had been on a similar journey...

And 💣 Boom 💣 there you have it! This not only your path to success but it becomes a coaching and development framework...

Define the sale competencies:

In this case we may capture these as important for the business.

• Research and Identifying Prospects

• Asking Probing Questions

• Identifying problems and challenges

• Using customer stories to articulate value

Develop sales reps skills:

Make sure these sales competencies are front and centre in your sales leaders activities and investments.

• Coach to these focus areas

• Train and upskill the teams

• Continually review and provide feedback

Measure the aligned leading indicators:

Specifically measure the development inputs against the outcomes you are getting.

• Prospect : Meeting Ratio [Aligned to “Research and Identifying Prospects”]

• Meeting : Opportunity Ratio [Aligned to “Asking Probing Questions”, “Identifying problems and challenges”, “Using customer stories to articulate value”

• New SaaS Pipeline generated

• Do this at an individual, team and business level and feed it back to identify gaps and further areas of focus and improvement.

Create a framework that allows this to happen on a continual basis to achieve your success goal.