Build profits - conduct a Sales Audit

It's all in the numbers

The Sales Audit – getting the best out of the sales process

If you want to conduct a sales review or sales audit to see how well you are doing then don't delay and call us today on 0117 9047874

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Said Eleanor Roosevelt.

This quote seems to offer that homespun philosophy that delivers an insight into human behaviour. But when we talk about the task of selling it does not have to be the case. If you are running a company or a division of a company, then learning how to sell is not going to be high on your radar.

You may already have people that do that for you. But it is essential that you understand how the sales process really works in order to affect the outcomes and maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of the process. Done well it leads to an enhanced bottom line and long term stability through stronger and deeper relationships. Client satisfaction levels increase which in turn motivates the organisation to be better in all areas.

What exactly is selling?

There are many definitions. This one works well for most situations:

Selling is the management task of persuading individuals to a specific course of action.

In many cases that course of action is a purchase of some description. It could also be that the customer makes a repeat purchase or agrees to include you on a roster. The action will depend entirely on the circumstances at the time of the intervention.

What do we know about selling?

Selling is complicated. It is part science and part art form. It requires skills and an innate ability to determine the right course of action. It can be taught and it can come naturally. Good sales people are born and good sales people are the result of expert training and expert guidance. There is no perfect answer. As in many things in business it is down to the right mix.

But, any company that is not selling is very likely to struggle. In troubled times we can go further. Any company that is not selling WELL is likely to struggle. At some stage in the companies life cycle there will be the need to convince buyers to buy and at a price that is profitable. Good sales people will understand the negotiation process and will extract the maximum value of the transaction rather than move to the lowest possible denominator of price. 

What can go wrong?

Selling is left to the sales people! As the sales process is typically poorly understood by senior management it is left to the sales people to set their own plan and also deliver it. This could bring with it a number of problems. For example, one common failing is that sales people typically use price as the main means of negotiating to win the order rather than building a case for the value added solution. Most operate in the short term and have little regard for the strategic impact of their actions.

How do The Business CoPilots improve this situation?

We run in house workshops that help CEOs, MDs and senior managers understand the sales process. They use the knowledge gained to accurately assess what is working and what is not by unravelling the entire sales process into discrete entities. We create the appropriate benchmarked metrics for each stage to allow the management team to assess current performance and then to develop plans to change those areas that are misfiring.

Our goal with the workshop is to develop the managements understanding of the sales process. We do not look to change people into sales people. If they are senior managers they have already decided their unique perspective on their role. Their role is to motivate, manage and direct the sales process. We will not try to turn them into sales people!

How does it all work?

The Sales Audit Workshop begins with a review of the sales process on a blank sheet of paper. The reason for starting from scratch is that each company has a unique way of running their sales process.

Having defined the sale pathway we break it down into discrete stages from prospect to client and even beyond if repeat purchases are an essential part of the profit making process.

Having defined the individual stages we then benchmark them against industry expectations using the senior team’s industry knowledge and also by using our own expertise and experience to determine appropriate metrics. These metrics ensure that we have benchmarks against which to compare the actuals.

The sales performance is then assessed by breaking the actual results down into the various stages to determine which part of the process is functioning and which requires remedial attention.

We work collaboratively to outline options to consider and we will work to develop an action plan. If needed we can also help craft the sales plan that is aligned with the business plan.

How much does all this cost?

The cost for the complete audit and for advising the senior manager how to develop it and interpret the data starts at £5,000 + VAT. Call me on 0117 9047874 to find out more.

Ps – due to the time taken and nature of the Audit we can work with very few companies at any one stage. We work on a first come first served basis so please don’t delay in making contact.

For more information please call us on 0117 9047874 or email us