When it comes to measuring sales performance, there are two main things to keep in mind, first the evident one, which is measuring sales results and secondly the not so evident one, which is tracking sales activities.
Measuring sales results is easy, as this can be done by using a CRM and checking closed deals or even just by checking how much you have invoiced for a specific time period. However, if you only focus on the end result, you are not really driving sales and steering the sales team forward and will in fact always be late.
To drive sales performance you need to focus on input, instead of output as that will give you the best results in the end. Before you start measuring the performance of your sales reps, use reverse engineering. Start counting backwards from the end of the funnel to the beginning of the funnel, drilling into what is needed at each stage to reach your highest-level goal: revenue. Make sure the goals you set for your sales team are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (SMART).
To help you in this process we’ve listed a few KPIs that helps you in tracking sales call performance, which is a huge driver when it comes to success in outbound sales.
As for tracking pickups made by sales, monitoring how many companies or potential buyers your sales people speak to will help you determine the level needed to hit your goals.
Tracking how much time your sales people spend on the phone will help you understand their maximum capacity and help you allocate just enough leads to keep them busy - without wearing the out. According to our statistics, calls are also longer on Fridays, which means that might be a good day to call prospects. Use insight on calls to improve performance
The end goal is selling your product or service and hence you need to reach as many prospects as possible. Therefor you'll want to put your calling efforts where they matter the most. Track which week day is best for calling and what time of day most people answer the phone. Keep in mind that there might be regional and industry specific differences.
Sales people who perform well wants recognition – They want others to see that they are good. In addition tracking who performs best will help you understand the reason behind their outstanding performance which will help you as a sales manager improve the performance of the people who are struggling.
It is a well known fact that you'll be seeing more of the behaviour you are measuring and rewarding. By keeping an eye on when the first and last calls happen, your salespeople will be more likely to start calling a little earlier and stop a little later. Also tracking when calls happen will help you understand what other tasks your salespeople are doing in addition to calling leads and help you plan resources accordingly.
As the end goal is selling your product or service you want to know how well your salespeople do on the phone. To be able to track call outcomes, you'll need to create a process that allows salespeople to enter data after the call, preferably they should pick from a set of predetermined values as that will make analysis easier. Also consider using call recording for understanding how well your salespeople do on the phone.
Interested in trying Salestrail for call recording and call performance monitoring?