"when salespeople do not hit their sales quotas, management" course hero

by Spencer Hackett 4 min read

What are the benchmarks for success when the customer is at the center of everything? When sales quotas are no longer enough, what questions should you ask your business to make sure you measure up?

Woman and man colleagues collaborating over laptops in a casual office. [BONNINSTUDIO/Shutterstock]

Going for Growth: Future of Selling

The future can’t wait. Superpower your sellers for tomorrow with hard and soft skills.

What are sales quotas?

Sales quotas are clearly defined numerical targets salespeople are expected to hit in a specific time period. For the sales rep, it provides a goal and a deadline. For the sales leader, it helps measure performance.

The end of sales quotas as we know it?

The question is no longer, “how can I hit my numbers?” It’s “how can I help my prospect hit their numbers?” According to the latest State of Sales, 86% of sales reps say economic conditions have put building long-term relationships at top of mind. Long-term is the operative word here.

What are better ways to measure success? Enter customer metrics

If we take away the carrot of sales quotas then what are we left with? It turns out way more than what we started with. A few metrics that can reveal a seller’s performance better than just the number of closed deals:

How do we combat quota culture?

So how do we tear ourselves away from our quotas and invest more time in building buyer relationships? Wining and dining was often the way to go. You get folks out of the conference room, and they start connecting. The pandemic put that on hold, and they’re likely not coming back anytime soon.

The future salesperson is a hybrid of hard and soft skills

To be a seller means you’re adapting to new scenarios constantly. Sales teams will need to be open to experimentation and new ways of measuring success.

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