Q: How can I help my salespeople be more effective?

A: A number of factors come into play when it comes to the productivity of your sales team. First, it’s important to understand that your sales force will be much more effective if they understand where they fit in. You must prepare them in such a way that they understand the company’s numbers. Make sure you fully educate your sales staff about your sales mix, product lines, service lines, and margin mix. Second, you should look at how your salespeople are compensated for their efforts. Do they receive a commission on sales or a share of the profit margin? There may be things you can do to increase their motivation to sell.

There may be other issues that you need to address in order to enable your salespeople to be more successful. For example, you should examine your fulfillment process: are your services or products delivered efficiently? Are your customers satisfied with the service they receive? Research shows that it costs six to seven times more to attract new customers than to keep old ones. Businesses that provide superior customer service can charge more for their products and services, realize greater profits, and increase their market share. It’s much more cost-effective (and profitable) to devote more time to customer retention than to prospect for new customers.

If your closure rate indicates your sales force is struggling, you may want to consider investing in an outside sales training consultant who can help your salespeople focus their efforts.