S S Ten Slides in Ten Minutes: Thinking about Sales Operations [Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Prospects & Customers]
Presented by:
Bill Graham CP.APMP
August, 2014
A Point to Ponder…
Slide: 2
“People will forget what you said, …People will forget what you did, …but People will never forget how you made them feel.”
Bonnie Jean Wasmund
Sales Operations embeds ‘Winning Ways’ across the entire Sales Organisation…
Sales Operations is a fundamental imperative for Successful Sales
Slide: 3
CEO/MD
Sales Director
Sales Services
Sales Operations
Bid Centre
*
* May also be referred to as Sales Support
Sales Operations should subsist nowhere else in an organisation but in the Sales Structure
Head of Sales Operations
Adapted from Corporate Executive Board
Develop and implement salesforce and/or partner certification / training Action: • Collaborate with other functions (e.g., HR, Marketing, etc.) to identify and prioritize training needs • Choose the most appropriate training syllabus • Create and/or deliver training modules
Education & Training Adopt and/or Develop and/or Enhance sales methodologies & processes Action: • Identify and eliminate process inefficiencies • Establish and manage the roll out of standardized processes across the sales organisation
Methodologies & Processes
Adopt and/or Develop and/or Enhance sales systems & tools Action: • Identify, select & implement systems & tools • Establish and manage the roll out of standardized systems & tools across the sales organisation
Systems & Tools
Manage salesforce communications and serve as a ‘conduit’ between sales and other functions Action: • Manage the dissemination of information to the sales force • Represent the sales organisation in communications to the business units and other functions
Communication
Identify appropriate sales performance measures and report progress against goals Action: • Identify the key drivers of sales and account performance • Track and report progress to relevant stakeholders • Ensure data integrity/consistency
Forecasting
Create and administer sales compensation, incentive and reward programs Action: • Design the annual compensation plan • Administer the annual compensation plan • Track individual performance and make necessary compensation adjustments to drive performance
Compensation Assist the relevant business units in selecting & retaining specific clients Action: • Ensure the clients selected align to the current market development strategy • Develop and manage specific client selection strategies
Client Selection & Retention
Assist the relevant business units in selecting & retaining innovative partners Action: • Ensure the partners selected align to the current market development strategy • Monitor the value-add from partners
Partners
Sales Operations
Best-Practice Sales Operations Function - Example
Slide: 4
Sales Services enables a Salesforce to Win
Sales Services is the ‘coupling’ of Sales Operations and a Bid Centre to support both sales leadership and the entire Salesforce in their endeavours.
‘Typical’ Sales Services = Sales Operations + Bid Centre
Slide: 5
• Bid Managers [actively managing proposals]
• Proposal Co-ordinators [Standard content, Collation of additional content, final formatting , printing etc]
• Content Providers (virtual)
• Quality Assurance [External – Independent]
Bid Centre [Custodians of the Bid Process]
+
Best Practice is based on Centres of Excellence [CoE]
Slide: 6
Centres of Excellence for every elements of your defined Sales Operations Function: Take cognisance that: 1.The elements need to be
integrated 2.The unit needs to be
managed 3.The function is not
merely administrative 4.The unit is staffed by
professionals 5.The unit is linked to the
Bid Centre 6.Relevant Dashboards
measure and drive the salesforce
7.Move other support functions (e.g. Competitive Analysis) to an organisation-wide Shared-Services unit.
Mentor, Coach, Train or Counsel
Sales Operations is considered to be Vital for Successful Sales
Slide: 7
Centres of Excellence for every elements of your defined Sales Operations Function: Benefits accrued include: 1. Increase in sales
performance [Win rate] 2.Alignment of resources
to appropriate Accounts and Opportunities
3.Parity across the salesforce
4.Standardised processes, technology and methodologies
5. Increase in salesforce loyalty
6.Professional interlock across the entire organisation
7. Increase in marketplace relevance.
Mentor, Coach, Train or Counsel
Individual lacks knowledge about job responsibilities
Performance or attitude problem
COACH
Persistent poor performance or personal problems
Performance or attitude problem
COUNSEL
Group lacks knowledge about job or responsibilities
Performance or attitude problem and high impact on environment
TRAINING
New employee or someone requiring development and support other than from manager
Over or under performance, learnership or attitude problem
MENTOR
Knowing when to Mentor, Coach, Train or Counsel is a Science
Slide: 8
Never end the development of Sales Operations
Development of Sales Operations must be Well-Paced & Well-Planned
Slide: 9
e v
o l u t
i o n Begin with Centres of Excellence for every elements of your defined Sales Operations Function
Define Sales Targets and measure as Sales Operations Evolves
Mentor, Coach, Train or Counsel
A Point to Ponder…
Slide: 10
“Coming together is a beginning, …Keeping together is progress …Working together is a success.”
Anonymous
Sales Operations is the Sales Catalyst…