What should go into a new hire or sales territory turnaround plan?
Mike and I are working on a series for the SalesRoundup Podcast titled “A Sales Territory Turnaround Plan.” The Show targets both new hire and existing Sales people. For the new hire we are discussing the on boarding process in the first 90 days and for the existing sales rep we cover techniques on how to turnaround or jumpstart a territory within a 90 day period.
We would like you to help us craft the content for the show by providing us your ideas! This week we are working on month one.
Here is what we have so far:
The First 30 Days
- Established measurable goals
- Start to building (or review) your territory plan
- Establish written agreement with your Manager on individual responsibilities required to achieve your goal.
- Profile the top 30 accounts in your territory. For customers review each customer with everyone in your organization who interacted with them in the past two years. For Prospects, research through all the online tools everything you can learn about them and start to build a profile.
- New Hires… spend a week with a field mentor (assigned by your manager). If you are an existing sales rep, make appointments with other reps who are performing and discuss with them what is working. Have them take a look at your plan and listen to their feedback.
- Complete an “Activity Spreadsheet” for your territory. (We have a template in the download section of our newsletter) To get our weekly SalesRoundup Newsletter simply register its FREE!
- Completely review (or re-review) your companies website.
- Schedule yourself into New Hire Sales training or some advanced sales training.
- Meet with all your corporate resources to better understand how their respective discipline can help you be successful. Create an informal network
Help us craft the Podcast by telling us your ideas! Leave a comment with the answer to the question…
What should go into a sales territory turnaround plan?
We look forward to your input!
Good Selling
Mike & Joe
SalesRoundup Podcast
Start using a CRM or a system on day one. I think being organized in your approach is so important. This is not a commercial but a tip. salesforce.com offers a free account for one salesman. I use it and have adopted it to work for me. It is so flexible.
Mike
If your target market it measurable (you know the number of hospitals, clinics etc in your territory) you can use a targeting system to track how many you have contacted, eliminated and targeted as your prospect.
Hey Mike and Cindy
Thanks for the help and guidance… We are going to record the first segment later this week… I think we will do three episodes… What to accomplish in the first 30 days the next 60 days and finally 90 days.
What do you think?
PS
Please post your ideas… It will help us a lot in producing the show… I will post up links to the Podcast as they come out… So far it looks like June 29, July 6 and then July 13
really enjoy the show. (ESPECIALLY THE LAUGHTER) - we’ve sometimes found that with training complete ‘newbies’ for their new outside sales role, we have much more luck isolating them (to a degree) from the crusty, more seasoned reps, at least until they have their feet under them. a mentor/ride a long program is a must, but take extra, careful steps to have that first 30/60/90 day territory routine and attitude shaped by a company-man type manager rather than the spirit-crushing elder statesmen that seem to thrive on dashing the new guy’s dreams!
Hey Faron
Excellent comment… I know of a few old crusty sales people that I wouldn’t want newbies taking after! LOL
The Laughter… I think the show is an outlet for us… No matter how the week went we seem to feel much better after doing the show… It’s kind of our sales therapy… Hey there is a show idea here… Sales is a tough profession (i mean really tough) what if we did a show call “What is your sales therapy?”… Hmmmm drinking heavily???? LOL
Buckle down, put in extra calls, run targeted mail campaigns (snail mail & e-mail), search all old leads/inactive clients and call on them, meet business contacts for lunch and ask for introductions to their contact base…
Basically just my ass back into gear!
- Matt
P.S. If I win the “Comment of the Month” you’ll have to send the mug to Tokyo (pretty much disqualifies my comment just due to freakin’ postage, huh?)
Hey Matt
We changed our prize to a free copy of our e-Book Titled “Killer Sales Questions” and “Coffee is for Closers - Deal or no Deal… Sending digital products are much cheaper! LOL
I already bought it when it first came out…required listening for my team!
I want the mug!
Matt
LOL Don’t Tell anyone but we have a new one due out in Aug… on negotiating… It would be cheaper fro me to hand deliver a mug verses shipping it!
Man do i struggle with this topic. I would definitely appreciate a discussion about what to do when the new hire doesn’t work out. 90 days is over, the guy/gal is making the calls but nothing has closed (or for long cylcle deals) nothing real is in the funnel. YOu have invested 90 days and training etc. do you tack on another 30-60 to see how it goes? If so why? Do you cut your losses and try again?
Thanks in advance for your response. PS I agree with the NOT pairing a newbie up with the old and crusty. We all know there are some folks you keep because they make their number, not because they are great trainers or mentors.
Mike & Joe,
Your like the Todd & Tyler of Sales:}
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[...] What should go into a new hire or sales territory turnaround plan? What should go into a sales territory turnaround plan? Leave a comment and tell us what you think! [...]
This is a response to Erich about the newbie who is failing after 90 days - when do you continue to invest and when do you cut and run? Unless the sales cycle is very short, like a commodity product sold over the phone, it is unlikely a sale will be started and closed in 90 days given the product and company training going on at the same time. As with most problems, you look back to the foundation: were there reasonable metrics set for the first 90 days? In a complex sale, metrics could include:
1. Contacting at least X decision makers for the product/service
2. Conduct at least Y substantive conversations with potential decision makers
3. Build a prospect pipeline of at least Z qualified prospects
The newbie gets measured against those goals, and they are reset for the second 90 days. On top of the metrics, you, the manager should be spending a good amount of your time observing and coaching this person. Listen to them on the phone and go with them on calls. Watch for the key indicators of potential success:
1. flawless listening (not listening to figure out what they are going to say next)
2. ability to quickly connect to another person and make them feel comfortable
3. ability to interract in a consultative way, asking thoughtful questions, synthesizing information and probing for understanding
Even if your newbie hasn’t sold anything yet, but they have hit on the performance metrics and show promise in the key indicators, they are probably a keeper.
Hey All
Thank you for helping us develop some content for the podcast. Your thoughts were valuable. For those who don’t know we have been producing a weekly podcast on selling for… oh almost four years. We have learned that some people like the audio format and others prefer the blog. So we started the SalesActionPlan for the readers!!!!
From time to time we will cross the content like in this post to get some fresh ideas and we appreciate your contribution.
Thanks again
Mike and Joe
Joe and Cindy,
I wanted to thank you both for your advice. I thought you would like to know i have implemented both of your suggestions with success. The metrics I had been doing, but i was not observing and coaching enough. This was enourmously helpful. I must admit I am a little peeved at myself for not thinking this myself. It just goes to show, sometimes you can be a little to close to your own situation. Thanks to you both.
Erich