Salespeople, Are You Hitting Your Quota? (And What Can You Do About It)
Are you sailing the seas of despair, with your quota slipping farther and farther out into the Atlantic? Well, don’t feel like you are alone. Did you know that about 50% of sales reps don’t make their quota? It’s true, so let’s help each other out and explore some ways to get back on track.
1. State the Issue
The first step in changing a problem is to admit you have one. So begin there. Work to figure out why you aren’t making your number. Don’t treat the symptoms, but find the underlying cause of the issue, and aim to fix that.
Focus on three key stats: average deal size, win rate, and opportunities created per week. Dig into these numbers and try to identify where specifically you need to make improvements to get your quota back in sight.
2. Look for Help
Your sales manager is there to help you (well, a good one is at least). Instead of being on the defensive and back pedaling about how you are “doing better than the numbers say”, be honest with your boss and let them work with you to reach your goal.
Take those three sales numbers we just talked about and go into your weekly one-on-one prepared to present your findings on where you need help. Lay it all out on the table, and not only will your manager be impressed by your proactive approach, but having done all the stats crunching for them, you can use the meeting to strategize on reaching your quota.
Together you can have laser focus on where you need to improve, and utilize your manager’s past experience to help you succeed.
3. Mix it Up
Okay, so you know what the issue is and your manager is aligned with you on a plan to fix it. But you just can’t seem to get going. Maybe you’re just stuck in a rut. If this is the case, perhaps you need to mix up your approach a bit and find a way to get re-energized. My favorite way to do this, is with some tunes. In fact, studies show that upbeat music can increase your motivation by improving your mood. So download some new songs and start singing the blues away. (Hey, while you are downloading things… try downloading Spiro, too).
Make a few playlists that can get you pumped up for diving into those calls, or cheer you up after a disappointing meeting. It’s worth trying something new if it can help put you in the mood to close some deals!
4. Be Efficient and Effective
When you’re not making quota, people may assume it just means you aren’t making enough calls or landing enough meetings. But it isn’t necessarily a productivity issue. Being efficient and effective is the key to reaching your goal. You need to do the right things, and in the right manner.
Work smarter by knowing what deals to focus on and then make the best use of your time in moving these hot deals forward. An AI-Powered sales automation CRM can be super helpful and tell you who to call, and when.
