Getting Your Fair Share of Growing Revenues

Our 2006 Twin Cities Business Leaders “Stumbling Blocks to Growth” survey results are in. Find out how your company compares and decide what steps you’ll take to improve results.

Bottom line

Although business is better than last year, it is not measuring up to expectations for 62% of our respondents. They plan to address “stumbling blocks” to maximize performance.

Revenue findings   44% reported significantly higher revenues than ’05. However, out of the 82% who reported higher revenues, only 38% were exceeding their target.   Margin findings   While 53% said that revenues had grown over ’05, 65% were holding even when it comes to margin, and 6% weren’t meeting plan.   Quota findings   35% said that one-quarter of their sales staff is over quota, while the rest are floundering. Congratulations to the 12% who said that three-fourths of their staff was over quota.

 

Key Stumbling Blocks

When asked for some of the factors contributing to lower-than-planned performance, these are the major responses:

Identity Clarity   35% Wrong people in the job 26% Lack of proactive sales activity 26% Salespeople unable to sell at higher prices and hold margins Corporate Clarity   24% Lack of clear competitive differentiators 21% Target client not clearly identified Expectation Metrics   26% Lack of clear metrics 26% Lack of proactive sales activity Excuse Busters   24% Too many excuses for non-performance

 

Those of you that responded that you are not exceeding growth targets, or that revenue, margins, or market share declined, reported that some of the reasons for non-performance in your sales organization are:

Reason	Response Ratio
Lack of clear competition differentiators.	24%
Not enough tracking of opportunities.	26%
Not the right people in the job.	35%
Lack of clear metrics for the sales organization.	26%
High sales staff turnover.	3%
Not enough good salespeople in our hiring pipeline.	12%
Salespeople don’t compete effectively against major competitors.	21%
Salespeople unable to sell at higher prices and hold margins.	26%
Salespeople aren’t being held accountable for their results.	15%
Sales organization isn’t motivated to perform.	9%
Sales process is too long.	15%
Too many excuses for nonperformance.	24%
Lack of proactive sales activity.	26%
Target client not clearly identified.	21%
Other, Please Specify	32%

 

Learn how CEOs plan to improve results

Based on these concerns, where will they be focused in the next 90 days?

• 53% strengthen new business development initiatives
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/coaching_cs2.asp 
     
• 44% build better sales management systems and processes
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/accountable_cs.asp
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/accountable_cs3.asp 
     
• 38% gain control over sales process to create more predictable results
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/coaching_cs.asp 
     
• 29% train sales team to sell at higher margins
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/accountable_omg.asp 
     
• 26% shorten sales process
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/accountable_cs2.asp 
     
• 18% shorten ramp up time of new sales people
  • Learn more at http://www.salesgrowthspecialists.com/download/SPSelection.pdf 
     

Upcoming Events…

Sponsoring: Raising Expectations! Elevating Performance!
A fast-paced, one-hour presentation, led by sales force development expert Dave Kurlan, who will share his experience from evaluating the sales forces from more than 7500 companies.
Topics:	Do you have the right people in the right roles? Can you tell the difference between salespeople who can vs. will sell? Pipeline Management—How to turn your lumps of coal into Gold Bullions. Role of Sales Management—The impact they have on your success and failures. Over Achievers—How to find them and develop them. Recruiting—A Peak into a world-class sales recruiting process.
Who:	Senior management interested in improving their sales force's ability to sell more at higher margins.
When:	Thursday, Aug 24, 2006 12:00 PM to 01:00 PM Eastern DT
Where:	Online via WEBEX's online conferencing solution. Click here to register today!
Register:	Register today by going to http://www.salesgs.com/events/kurlan200608.htm and then click on the Register Now button.
For more information, feel free to call me at 612-267-3320.