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Cover of 'Sales growth'

Sales growth

Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami, Jon Vander Ark

Top five strategies from global leaders

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Description

In today's competitive market, excelling in sales is crucial for companies. An analysis of 1,000 leading US and European firms revealed that over half could generate more value by prioritizing sales growth over productivity or efficiency improvements.

Once a company reaches a 15 percent return on invested capital, increasing revenue growth contributes more to shareholder value than further improving capital returns. Research on over 100 large global companies, with average revenues of $31 billion and market capitalizations of $47 billion, identified five key strategies for driving sustained sales growth.

These strategies are central to outperforming peers in growth and profitability over a five-year span.

Table of contents

01

Seize growth op­por­tu­ni­ties first

To achieve sales growth, companies must first possess a strong desire to expand. This ambition drives them to identify future growth opportunities.

Successful sales strategies involve surfing upcoming trends, investing in growth before it happens, and transforming insights into actions. For instance, leveraging cloud computing with innovative business models has proven beneficial. Allocating a portion of the annual sales budget towards new opportunities and maintaining a forward-looking approach are key practices of effective sales leaders.

Moreover, exploring micro-markets within mature industries can uncover hidden growth potential. This involves segmenting larger markets to find niches with imminent growth, fostering cross-functional collaboration to tap into these opportunities, and simplifying processes for the sales team.

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02

Optimize mul­ti­chan­nel customer service

To achieve growth, companies must prioritize delivering their products and services in a manner that aligns with customer preferences. Embracing multichannel sales strategies, which blend remote and field sales, integrate online and offline experiences, and orchestrate direct and indirect sales channels, can significantly enhance profit margins and revenue growth. However, managing these diverse customer interactions can be challenging due to their varying needs.

Successful multichannel management not only keeps customers satisfied and loyal but also optimizes service costs. In the digital age, integrating digital sales channels with traditional ones has proven to be a powerful driver of growth. Companies that continuously optimize their online presence, leverage social media for engagement, and seamlessly integrate digital channels into the overall customer experience can become digital success stories.

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03

Drive growth with sales tech

To drive sales growth, companies must fine-tune their sales engines, leveraging available technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. A significant revenue increase, ranging from 10 to 25 percent, can be achieved by revamping sales operations, which involves two key strategies.

Firstly, it's crucial to give sales teams more time to engage with customers by streamlining internal processes. Often, salespeople are bogged down with administrative tasks such as analytics, report-filling, and creating unique proposals, which detracts from their selling time. By standardizing proposal preparation and providing better tools, or outsourcing non-core tasks, companies can free up their sales force to focus on what they do best—selling. Protecting this selling time from administrative encroachment is essential.

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04

Combine immediate and long-term growth

To achieve sustained sales growth, companies must prioritize talent development, recognizing that a skilled and motivated sales team is central to success. High-performing sales organizations understand the importance of addressing the disparity in team productivity by implementing key strategies.

Coaching is essential; it transforms novices into top sellers. A structured coaching program, including weekly individual sessions and daily brief check-ins, is highly effective. Additionally, having coaches participate in sales calls to provide real-time feedback can significantly enhance performance.

Regular reporting is another critical practice. When sales representatives report their results weekly, it creates a sense of urgency and accountability. This frequent reporting allows for the timely identification and resolution of issues, preventing them from escalating into larger problems. Both leading and lagging indicators should be consistently monitored.

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05

Secure commitment for tough changes

Effective sales leadership is fundamentally a top-down approach, where leaders not only set a vision but also actively work to inspire their teams towards achieving it. They understand the importance of challenging the status quo, constantly seeking improvements and preempting customer issues to enhance the sales experience.

By setting clear objectives and consistently reinforcing them, sales leaders can significantly motivate their teams. It's crucial for leaders to embody the change they wish to see, serving as role models and demonstrating commitment through their actions. This includes getting personally involved in significant deals to drive results and showcase their dedication to success.

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