The Sales Acceleration Formula

Alright, field sales teams, now that we've covered the basics of sales acceleration, let's dive into the nitty-gritty of how to make it happen. Enter the Sales Acceleration Formula - your roadmap to success.

There's a fantastic book written by the former SVP of sales at Hubspot Mark Roberge titled "The Sales Acceleration Formula". Here's a summary of the points in the book:

The Sales Hiring Formula

First things first, you need the right people on your team. When it comes to field sales, you want reps who are self-starters, great communicators, and quick learners. Create a scorecard of the essential skills and values you're looking for, and use it to assess candidates during the hiring process.

Consider building an internal recruitment team that really understands your company culture and can spot top talent a mile away. And don't forget to periodically review your hiring criteria based on the characteristics of your top performers.

The Sales Training Formula

Once you've got the right people, it's time to set them up for success with a killer training program. Make sure your training content aligns with your company's goals, values, and the buyer journey. Tap into the wisdom of your top-performing reps and incorporate their best practices into the program.

The key here is consistency - every rep should go through the same training, so you can identify areas for improvement and make sure everyone's on the same page. And don't forget to measure the effectiveness of your training program, so you can keep refining it over time.

The Sales Management Formula

Now, let's talk about the sales managers. To really accelerate your sales, you need managers who are more like coaches than bosses. They should be setting clear goals and metrics for each rep and the team as a whole, and regularly meeting one-on-one to review performance and set individual goals.

When it comes to compensation, keep it simple, aligned with your company's goals, and immediate. And use data to inform your promotion decisions and succession planning - just because someone's a great rep doesn't necessarily mean they'll be a great manager.

The Demand Generation Formula

Generating high-quality leads is crucial for field sales success. Work closely with your marketing team to make sure you're getting a consistent flow of leads for each rep. Implement a lead scoring and prioritization system, so your reps can focus on the most promising opportunities.

Don't forget to regularly measure and optimize your lead generation process - the more efficient you can make it, the more time your reps can spend actually selling.

The Technology Formula

The right sales acceleration tools can make a huge difference for field sales teams. Look for mobile-friendly options that can help streamline the sales process and provide valuable data and analytics.

Make sure your sales tools integrate seamlessly with your other systems, and provide ongoing training and support to ensure high adoption rates. The goal is to make your reps' lives easier, not more complicated.

Putting It All Together

Now that you've got all the pieces of the Sales Acceleration Formula, it's time to put it into action. Develop a clear implementation plan with specific goals and milestones for each component of the formula.

Regularly assess and optimize your sales acceleration strategy, and don't be afraid to make changes along the way. And most importantly, celebrate your successes and learn from your challenges - sales acceleration is an ongoing process, not a one-time event.