I recently came across this post that outlines suggestions for managing and motivating a team of B2B sales reps.
I'd like to draw your attention to #6. Hire Appointment Setters. Your team works hard. They're skilled, successful sales people who have contributed to hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue over the years. Is it any wonder that when you ask them to call through cold leads, or mine an outdated database for new customers, they're less-than-enthused?
Keep your top hitters at the plate. Set them up for sales success by optimizing productivity. One of the simplest ways to make this happen is to have someone else help out with the top-of-the-funnel activity. Don't waste your high-performers' time on a hangups, bad phone numbers, or unqualified buyers.
(see also Sales is about getting your hitters their at-bats)
I had a conversation yesterday with a gentleman who runs a funding company for consumers and business looking for lines of credit. It was awesome to see his eyes light up when it dawned on him that with the right lead generation partner, inbound lead triaging, and pre-transfer qualification, he could literally only handle calls from people ready to close. The rest of his time could be spent on higher-value tasks like nurturing relationships with current clients and developing strategy for future growth.
Optimize your sales team's time by bringing in the right person or partner to cleanse lists, qualify leads and set solid appointments with ready-to-buy prospects.