LSA Global Insights Newsletter: May 2018

May 19, 2018

7 Ways to Stress Test Your Sales Strategy

Executive overlooking the city

It is difficult to consistently meet sales targets without a clear and meaningful direction that everyone is committed to make happen.

Yet, Many Sales Strategies Fall Short
While the majority of sales leaders (83%) agree with the need for a clear and compelling sales strategy, our research shows that too many sales teams (72%) move too quickly to meet quarterly revenue targets without having a clear, believable or implementable plan. Some sales leaders say they do not have the time. Others think sales quota combined with increased pressure and hard work should be enough. 

Strategic Sales Ambiguity 
When you ask sales teams about their strategy, ambiguity reigns. Sales teams consistently rank the sales strategy as being 50% less clear than sales leadership. Unfortunately the lack of strategic sales clarity not only hampers short-term sales performance but also long-term sales team health. An unclear sales strategy blurs priorities and trade-offs for sales teams. 

Unfortunately, most sales teams have just enough of a game plan to stay in the game...but not to win it.
Strategic Sales Clarity Matters
Our organizational alignment research found that strategic sales clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing organizations in terms of revenue growth, margin attainment, customer retention and sales team engagement. 

Organizations with higher levels of strategic sales clarity: 
  • Grow revenue 58% faster
  • Are 72% more profitable 
  • Retain customers 2.23-to-1 
  • Engage employees 16.8-to-1 
The Components of an Effective Sales Strategy
Effective sales strategies provide crystal clear alignment with the overall corporate strategy and create high levels of commitment to at least four fundamental questions: 
1.     Target Clients - What are our ideal target clients and markets where we should win 75% of the time?
2.     Unique Value Proposition - What is our unique differentiation that sets us apart from the competition in the eyes of our target buyers? 
3.     Success Metrics - How will sales success and failure be monitored, measured and rewarded? 
4.     Sales Plan - What are the critical few sales goals, roles, processes and actions that should lead to meeting or exceeding our targets? 
To succeed, sales teams and their key stakeholders must be crystal clear on sales goals (where the team is headed) and sales strategies (how it is going to get there).
 
It could be the right time for you to stress test your sales strategy.



Voice of the Customer

"We hired LSA to help ensure our sales strategy fully aligns with our business strategy to sustain our hardware business while driving high growth in software and services. LSA's ability to measure our level of strategic alignment, pinpoint areas of leverage and get the entire executive sales team to agree upon what matters most exceed our expectations. I would recommend them to any sales leader who wants to be set up for success."
Dan Dica | SVP Worldwide Sales | VASCO Data Security International 

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned


Sales Toolkit to Stay Above the Competition

graphic of a man with a money parachute over the city

Effective sales leaders grow revenue and profits through organizational alignment by ensuring the go-to-market sales strategy is clear, building a high performance sales culture and attracting, developing, engaging and retaining top sales talent.
  • At a strategic level, good sales leaders set the right course, create clear goals, roles, success metrics and career paths. 
  • At a cultural level, good sales leaders ensure that the sales culture is not only healthy, but 100% aligned with the sales and business strategies. 
  • At a talent level, good sales leaders consistently attract, develop, engage and retain top sales talent that fits.

About LSA Global
Founded in 1995, LSA Global is a leading performance consulting and training firm that helps high growth technology, services, and life-science companies create a competitive advantage by powerfully aligning their culture and talent with their strategy. Learn more about getting aligned