You may be familiar with the Arthur “Red” Motley quote: “Nothing happens until someone sells something!”

Regardless of the extent to which Motley’s perspective may or may not be true, managing the sales process effectively and maintaining a path of consistent revenue growth are daily goals within organizations of all types and sizes. And while many external factors, such as changes in the economy or increased competition, can significantly affect results, the sales process, like all processes, can and should be continually studied and improved.

Interestingly, when we dig into that topic with organizational leaders we often find that they haven’t defined a “sales process” that is centered around work. Instead, they refer to their CRM categories as the sales process.

We understand and appreciate the value of CRM systems and forecasting, but this type of measurement is not work-centric. So it’s no surprise that a common challenge facing so many organizations is how to increase revenue.

If sales growth is an issue for your organization, here are some strategies you could consider from a previous newsletter:

Looking outward to prove or confirm what customers consider most important. Start by testing your understanding of what really matters to your customers and to your competitors’ customers.

Every customer contact is an opportunity to extract information that can help you grow the business. Ask customers what they like about your services or products. Ask them what they would like you to change (besides the price) that would make them happy. Learn about their related needs, new needs and concerns, and remember that in many cases clients are not fully aware of their needs; so while you’re at it, investigate unrecognized needs as well.

Ask your customers what is most important to them and how they think you compare. Ask broader questions to gain insight into the challenges they face that go beyond using your product or service. Armed with information about what customers value, you can innovate solutions that leverage your capabilities to exceed your customers’ expectations.

You must also have a repository for the information and a method and discipline to capture the information for analysis and action.

Consider exploring three other sources of valuable information about your customers and the market you serve:

1. Observation – Arrange a method to see your customers use your product or service. Much can be learned just by watching!
2. Analyze lost sales data and use the information to launch improvement initiatives
3. Internet Searches: See what people in your market are searching for and interested in. As the saying goes, “Find the need and fill it!”

Look for opportunities to define and improve the sales process –
that is, study the work!

What processes do you use to generate sales?

How well are these processes working?

How do you know?

You can study and improve your lead generation process just like you can improve any other process: by gathering facts and data about how the process currently works, identifying waste in the process, addressing underlying causes, and measuring and standardizing the results of improvements. . What process do you use to acquire new accounts? What process do you use to increase sales with existing accounts? Here are several different processes that companies use to generate sales and how you can study and improve them:

• Sales calls: are they well planned and executed? Messenger service? Results?
• Promotions: are they effective? Net income?
• Distribution channels: are they effective? Are there additional channels to be evaluated?
• Price: is it too high? Is it too low? As we know?

We hope to maintain an innovative edge. Sooner or later all products or services become “commodities”.

Simply put, you have to offer something significantly unique, and that means you have to innovate.

The following are three directions you could explore to innovate and expand your business:

1. Adapt your current offering to rejuvenate existing customer relationships. What new feature or service would make relationships young again? New features, functionality, packaging, or performance?
2. Commercialize underutilized capabilities. What capabilities do you or your suppliers have that are underutilized?
3. Adapt your current capabilities and offerings to emerging needs and markets. Where is the market going? What technological changes will influence future needs? What geographic openings will grow in the next decade? If you had to imagine the future, what would you see?