Achieving quota is stressful for every salesperson but there are some actions you can take to not only mitigate the anxiety, but also to be successful year after year.
1. Understand the strategy of the organization intimately. If you don’t understand what the strategy means in terms of what products, services and solutions need to be offered to clients, how can you set a meaningful quota plan? You can’t.
Successful quotas are achieved on the back of strategy.
2. Strengthen the relationship with marketing for their support during the year. They are your greatest support system; they must have your back. You need to be “joined at the hip” with them.
They need to be there at your beckoning to help you. It won’t happen unless you are a strong team.
3. Keep the quota plan simple and focused – focus on as few clients as possible, contain the geographic distribution to minimize the time it will take to get to them.
Let’s face it, when you consider vacation, sick and personal time that consume the time available, you have at best 10 months to achieve your quota. This means you need to be extremely focused on HOW you intend to get your numbers.
Sales nirvana is to achieve quota by selling to a small number of clients close to you to maximize your productivity.
4. Focus on a client solution that can be replicated across as many other clients as possible. A solution that appeals across a broad base of clients is one to be an expert on and stress to your “A” clients. Your return on time invested goes up.
5. Don’t expect to know how to achieve every penny of the quota. There will always be a residual amount the sales rep will have to be creative to fill.
Be able to “explain” 80% of your quota and leave the balance to figure out “in the run.” It’s more important to execute your quota plan fast than it is to try and understand how you are going to get every single dollar of your quota.
6. Be prepared for “body blows” – unforeseen events that disrupt the quota plan – and revise the plan quickly given the new conditions. Plan “A” never works out the way you had originally intended, and it’s critical to have a “s**t happens” game plan that you can put into effect on a moment’s notice when things go awry.
Spend 50 hrs (or whatever) on your quota plan and at least another 50 hours on your s**t happens response plan.
7. Keep the medium to longer term in mind because those views will soon be today.
Relationship and loyalty building activities must be a part of the quota plan even though they might not have payback today.
It’s a balance that most have difficulty achieving.
8. Know the target clients VERY deeply – know their innermost desires. It’s the only way the sales rep can be a solutions provider and build loyalty and trust.
It’s not about what clients NEED, it’s about what they DESIRE and if you can play the desire card you are assured the prize and quota success.
Take the time to really understand who they are and what they covet; you will be repaid handsomely for your efforts.
9. Constantly create value for clients – stay away from flogging products and services. Clients want their problems solved. Period. Pushing your product line at them in hopes they will hit the mark is not only an unproductive sales approach it is also borderline dishonest.
Products and services are a means to the end; focus on the end game.
10. Work on your personal ONLY statement that defines the sales person’s uniqueness in comparison to their competition.
It answers the question “Why should I do business with you and not the other guy?”
If you are the same as every other salesperson, you’re boring and probably invisible on the client’s radar. You need to decide how you intend to present special unmatched personal brand that other sales reps will watch in awe.
10 steps; 10 reasons to believe you can nail your quota.
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