Sales operations plays a key role within an organization and is vital to developing a long-term competitive advantage. One function of the sales operations team is to analyze market, sales and institutional data in order to develop strategic insights. These strategic insights are then communicated to all stakeholders. This is straight-forward in theory; however, a lot of businesses still have difficulties creating optimal conditions where sales operations can thrive. Part of this problem lies in the demands and expectations being placed on the sales operations team. For a better understanding, let’s examine some common challenges:
An Abundance of Sales Data Leading to Information Overload
Information is knowledge and knowledge is power. When you flood the system with too much information, the effectiveness of this power is compromised. As an organization matures, the need for focused data capturing becomes more apparent. It’s the essential ingredient for forecasting and predictive analytics, but when you overload the system with too much information it has the potential to hinder the ability to see clearly.
Using CRM without SPM Means Getting Only One Side of the Story
Sales performance management software solutions, when implemented effectively, have an immediate positive impact on achieving sales objectives. The benefits that come along with automation enable sales operations to spend valuable time where it is most necessary, motivating sales reps. However, some organizations are still operating at a disadvantage. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, while robust and great at capturing data, only provide half of the picture. While CRM’s are great at collecting customer- and opportunity-oriented data, they underperform in providing the link between sales investment and results. This is a little like running a professional sports team without a scoreboard or knowledge of the players’ contracts.
If your organization is currently considering and evaluating different sales performance management software solution providers, we would love to get in touch. With our extensive knowledge of Sales Performance Management, we are uniquely equipped to provide your organization with a 360° comprehensive outlook. Book your free consultation today!
Channelling Strategic Vision with Sales Operations
One of Executive Leadership’s key responsibilities is defining strategy and providing a vision for the organization to thrive. This macro vision trickles down throughout the business, influencing micro decisions. In the end, part of Sales Operations’ responsibility is to optimize the sales team’s organization, behavior and capabilities in order to carry out that vision.
This is a challenging task for large sales organizations, as the most optimal solution may not be achievable. Constraints on perfect execution are numerous and varied, but include:
- Insufficient budget to staff the sales team fully
- Unavailability of key skillsets or capabilities
- Inflexible software support systems
- Lack of data or lack of access to data
- Lack of time to properly plan, deploy, and manage changes around sales programs
Keep in mind that these are just a short list of possible roadblocks that may limit your Sales Operations team. Some of the above can be alleviated by investing in a sales performance management solution. SPM solutions better enable data driven decision making by alleviating the constraints associated with a highly manual, or inflexible, sales support environment. Some key benefits include:
- Automation of incentives, territory and quota management which frees up time allowing for better analysis
- Acts as a system of record for all sales performance outputs and intermediate results
Always remember that the goal of optimizing your sales organization’s multiple divisions is to achieve sales objectives. You are trying to build an environment that promotes easily repeatable success. This does not happen overnight. Depending on your current organizational structure and culture, this transformation could require substantial buy-in from all departments. Integrated modeling, forecasting, planning and analytical tools that support decision making
In Part 2 of our Invest in Sales Operations to Maximize Sales series, we’ll explore simple strategies that provide enormous value to everyday sales ops functions. Subscribe to the Intangent Blog below so that you don’t miss out!