A sales playbook is a great tool for any organization looking to increase revenue in 2015. In fact, most companies that implement a playbook see an increase in revenue of around 10%. Still, many are hesitant to introduce new tools to their sales teams, which may explain why only 12 percent of companies reported using a sales playbook over the past year. Get over it already! It’s a new year, which brings new opportunities to meet challenges head on and exceed your goals. Here are five good reasons why your sales team should implement a sales playbook in 2015:
Your Reps Vary In Strength
Your best salespeople may already know a lot of the information in a typical sales playbook…but not all of it. New, and less effective salespeople know very little of the best practices and tactics that help close deals. In most cases, the majority of your salespeople are not your best salespeople. A sales playbook will raise the bar across your sales organization, improving sales skills and success rates.
Sales Training Gets Lost
Unless the lessons from sales training are regularly practiced and reinforced, much of the value from that training is lost within a month. In fact, studies show that 87% of new skills are lost 30 days after training. A sales playbook is used every day, which means the skills introduced during training will be reinforced on a daily basis. Training materials can also be included within a playbook, that way your reps can easily access a digital copy with the click of a button.
You Have Limited Time For Coaching
On average, sales reps receive a little less than two hours of coaching per week, mainly because managers have limited time to dedicate to this activity. If you’re too busy to ramp up coaching in 2015, a sales playbook can bring peace of mind by ensuring that your reps are consistently following a repeatable sales process and focusing on high-value activities…even when you aren’t looking.
Collaboration Is A Struggle
Collaboration can be a struggle amongst your sales team, and even more difficult when other departments need to be involved. A sales playbook is a platform for sharing. Between your sales team, this could mean sharing feedback (“win” stories, etc.). Between your sales team and other departments, this could mean sharing tools and collateral. The possibilities are endless and rewarding.
Sales Targets Are Increasing
Finally, while most companies are meeting their sales budgets – meaning their minimum levels of acceptable revenue – less than half of sales organizations are meeting their annual sales targets. According to CSO Insights, the win rates of forecasted deals in 2014 was only 45.9 percent. Many companies will need to aim much higher in 2015 because of last year’s performance. If a simple sales playbook can increase revenue by 10 percent, imagine what that increase could do to your numbers…
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: 5 Reasons To Implement A Sales Playbook In 2015
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