Grab a coin and flip it. You have a 50-50 chance of landing on heads. The same is true for your sales reps when it comes to meeting their quota. The latest research shows that about half of reps meet their quota—which means half fall short. Maybe your sales team is dealing with unreasonable quotas, they are not getting appropriate coaching, or they just aren’t sure about the expectations.

Whatever the case may be, when your reps are missing their sales quota, you must take steps to get them back on track. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share tips from James Meincke, the director of marketing at CloserIQ, on how sales managers can help salespeople hit their numbers.

Review past deals. Take some time to examine past successes. Meincke says this is a helpful exercise because it reminds struggling sales reps that they can succeed. When you identify commonalities in previous successful deals, use them to create a guidebook that reps can look at when they need actionable steps to follow.

Evaluate your reps’ sales messaging. Sit with your sales reps and listen to their cold calls. Are they giving similar pitches to each prospect? If so, teach them how to successfully adapt their sales pitch for each customer and situation.

Plan how to close deals in the pipeline. Even though your sales reps may be in a dry season, they probably have some deals they can bring over the finish line. Work with them on how they can close these accounts.

Encourage your sales reps to focus on what they can control. In the current economy, your team members might feel despondent and like their sales performance is out of their control. Meincke recommends motivating your sales reps by prompting them to take ownership of their work rather than dwelling on what is going on in the world. One way to do this is by pivoting toward growing established accounts.

Consider putting quota relief on the table. While many sales managers see quota relief as a last resort, Meincke asserts that it’s worth considering during the pandemic. A lower quota can help ease sales reps’ anxiety and thereby encourage better performance. Meincke says sales managers should offer the same conditions to all members of their sales team and avoid responding to individual requests for relief.

Consider how your reps could improve their work habits. Would your sales reps be more productive working from home? Do they need help establishing a routine? Talk to your team members about what distractions may be preventing them from doing their best work and recommend tools to help them be more successful.

Rather than cutting loose the sales reps who aren’t making their numbers, sales managers can consider ways to help their struggling team members. Start by studying past successes and then listen to your sales reps’ messaging. Motivate them to control what they can control and, if needed, provide quota relief. By reviewing past deals, mapping out improvement areas and showing your sales reps why they win and lose deals, you can help them develop a game plan for consistently hitting their sales quota.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: James Meincke is the director of marketing at CloserIQ, a company that helps high-growth firms scale through best practices in organizational design, compensation frameworks and interview methodology.