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

bill.graham@sales-synthesis.co.za

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…