DO YOU HAVE A REVENUE-GROWTH APPROACH?
EDITORIAL
THE 5-PILLARS OF A MARKET-LEADING B2B SALES ORGANISATION
The foundation of a successful B2B
organisation is what we call a ‘revenue growth approach’ that simultaneously focuses on sales growth and margin protection. There are five key pillars that must be developed and then matured in every organisation to
achieve this goal, finally reaching
a level of optimisation that ensures
a strong, sustainable and above-all competitive B2B business.
The five key pillars of a high-
performance sales organisation: COMPETITIVE STRATEGY Many companies do not have a
documented, customer-centric sales
organisation strategy that differentiates the organisation for a competitive
advantage. Instead, many companies simply have a set of actions they will take to make a budget, not founded
on market opportunity, but rather an
increase on the previous year’s sales. Furthermore, strategy too often fails to be translated into an execution.
As a result, sales managers are not equipped with a clear road map of
where to focus or what exactly their
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT If the process and systems for
sales reps who report to them. The
is either not defined or randomly
case, particularly if the sales rep in
has no control over how customers
relationship-building skills to close
prospecting and customer engagement
reality is that this is seldom the
followed by sales reps, the business
question relied on their charisma and
are perceiving a B2B organisation.
deals.
unable to articulate value to customers
The solution: Strong sales
decision-making process.
systematic, metrics-driven approach
The solution: B2B organisations
activities and outcomes. They also
This can result in sales teams who are or guide them through a quality
must develop an agile approach to
mapping, refining and testing processes in response to changing business
environments and customer needs. SALES TALENT An ill-defined approach to hiring and
including coaching to drive sales rep need good change management
capabilities as B2B customers are
constantly evolving and changing, and so how an organisation sells to them must be both agile and adaptable. SALES ENABLEMENT Since 70% of B2B buyers are doing
performers who are able to articulate
they even reach out to a brand,
leadership teams do not develop star value and differentiate the business.
This often leads to missed opportunities and missed targets, because the sales
team is unable to engage on value and
with the correct level of stakeholders on a B2B level.
The solution: Building a strong sales
The solution: Executives should
rely on scientific assessment tools over
of their sales organisation and then
DNA will win in the end – as this will
The potential for a competitive
who can meet their revenue targets.
force starts with hiring. Companies that
conduct a 360-degree GAP analysis
gut instinct to identify competitive sales
design an ideal future-state strategy.
result in a high percentage of sales reps
sales organisation to perform a set of
management abilities rely on a
developing sales talent means that
sales reps should do differently.
advantage for a company is for the
performer will somehow rub off on
their own online research before
presenting compelling collateral that effectively positions your solution is an important foundational principle. How a customer engages with your
brand is therefore the product of sales collateral that supports the entire buying funnel.
The solution: A buyer-centric
view is essential when developing engaging collateral. Industry-
aligned and needs-driven content
captures a buyer’s attention, while
evidence-based case study content that demonstrates a strong return-
SALES MANAGEMENT
on-investment is important to help
activities differently to their competitors.
In many organisations, top sales reps
position your brand as a leader,
and difficult to commoditise.
positions in the hope that a star
buying decisions.
This is simultaneously differentiating
are promoted into sales management
overcome scepticism and justify
TOP PERFORMING COMPANIES | 18TH EDITION
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