Your company has been under the pressure of competitors and market changes for several years. You have made the usual moves of cutting costs, and changing suppliers looking for innovation in products and services, and the pressure is still building. However, one frontier remains untouched, and it is time to look seriously at what is happening in sales. Is it time for a sales transformation? Who is going to lead a sales transformation?
Companies fear looking at changes or improvements to their sales forces for a good reason; sales are the engine that drives revenue.
The sales team is providing feedback on their market challenges and why they cannot deliver the results. They have exhausted all their ideas, and their manager is at their wit’s end to make it happen. Yet, they are convinced that the price, lead times, and new products are required to sell.
You have looked at how the sales operation is working, and you have concerns over the lack of systems adherence, the CRM not being used, and the sales team seeming flat. The sales leader has attempted to address the issues with no success and, in some instances, may be seen as the problem, not the solution. The sales leader may have departed, or a recent restructuring has occurred. Nevertheless, the circumstances have prompted the requirement for a sales transformation.
According to research from IBM, the need to lead change is growing, but our ability to do it is shrinking. Moreover, when changes fail, people often become cynical. They start to mutter under their breath, “Here we go again…” or “Here comes another flavour of the month…” or “We are lying low until this fad blows over.”? You may face these barriers if your sales organisation has already attempted even minor changes.
New projects, especially change management, can be viewed as exciting opportunities. Often people see change as an opportunity to do something different, gain a higher position, make their mark, and potentially earn a pay rise. Naively, many expect that all that is required is ‘to manage the people’ and ‘have them focus on the tasks’. Right?
Unfortunately, this simple approach demonstrates why over 70% of change projects fail. Often people believe change is about systems. Sales transformations are about people and having those people use new methods. Potentially many change projects fail as the people component is underestimated. It is not a predictable and step-by-step process.
Before a sales transformation or change programme commences, there are several flawed assumptions, according to Ray Williams, author of Breaking Bad Habits and The Leadership Edge. Those assumptions include the following:
- Change can be managed. This assumption is predicated on believing that the external world is orderly, stable, and predictable. That is no longer possible. Unpredictability and uncertainty are constant features of our world;
- Leaders and change managers are objective. That’s not possible. They bring their biases, preferences and personal perspectives to the change process, whether they realise that or not;
If you want to lead a successful change project you need to select the right person to lead the sales transformation. This eBook will provide insight into the twelve critical competencies required to lead successful change. In addition, we have provided you with a suitability and functional test to assess your ability to deliver change.
This eBook also looks deep into the change process and people’s personal experiences through the change process that you must guide them through. A journey that can be turbulent and requires a degree of objectivity that is difficult to sustain.
If you are considering a sales transformation, this will be informative. Adele Crane is renowned for her experience delivering change in 90-120 days and achieving revenue and profitability improvement.
If you are considering a sales transformation, please reach out to us to assist you in scoping and planning a successful project.
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