Sales effectiveness metrics can offer a lot more than just outlining quotas and revealing performance trends. In an increasingly analytical business world, performance metrics are valuable organization-building tools. Think about using granular, multilayered data in terms of those “it’s not complicated” commercials AT&T has been airing recently. In those commercials, a man sitting with several children asks them straightforward questions, like if it’s better for something to be “bigger” or “faster.”
In this case, which is better: More data, or less data? The use of sales effectiveness metrics can go beyond the individual employee, giving management valuable assessments and tools to make more informed, data-driven insights. These insights, in turn, can be reinvested in the form of improving organizational operations and company culture.
Data, data everywhere
Organizations invest in big data and analytics for a variety of reasons. For the sales team, there are internal and external uses for intelligent, data-centric applications, whether it’s to better target consumers, improve customer service communications or evaluate performance. Sales effectiveness metrics may be utilized to support one aspect of the process, but they’re not wholly separate from other data analysis tools.
This overlapping effect leads to a company culture built on data. In fact, suggested SmartData Collective contributor Mark van Rijmenam, the effective “datafication” of an organization will almost certainly be affected by their new philosophy.
“The specific ways in which big data are going to affect your own company culture are dependent on the type of data you have, and what you intend to do with it,” he wrote. “The way the company decides to pursue these trends affects its overall culture.”
In short, organizations have an immensely valuable opportunity to use the metrics and analysis tools employed in measuring sales or evaluating customers in any way they see fit.
Sales effectiveness metrics for better team meetings
Take, for example, the sales team meeting. It’s a chance to drive organizational change, but for many organizations, the potential of this effort goes unrealized. Data analysis tools and performance metrics can be used to give meaning to the sales team meeting. Business 2 Community contributor Belinda Summers outlined some elements that can boost the quality and productivity of sales team meetings, and by extension, the sales team. It’s important to combine personalization and individual motivation with company-wide objectives.
Sales metrics can provide data that offers a clear picture of team performance. With this information in hand, managers can speak to specific objectives and areas that offer potential for improvement. Sales teams can use these meetings as valuable regrouping efforts, emerging revitalized to be more productive in the future.
