OK – so the title is a bit misleading. Anytime is the best time for sales performance management software to make its business debut! Kidding aside, there are certain times in a company’s development that are more opportune than others to implement a solution of this magnitude. Is it during a company’s fledgling stage? During its growth spurt? Or is it more effective when a company’s progress seems to sag and requires a kick in the pants? The answer may surprise you. Every business goes through lean times. Every product or service (with the exception of the brief but addictive life of “Flappy Bird” – you were taken from us too soon) will see its popularity wane over time. It’s only natural. Sales and marketing strategies can be deployed to help sustain a product’s life or give the service a second wind, but ultimately every company will need to innovate and produce in order to stay relevant. While this is easier said than done, there are patterns that are more conducive to staying afloat. One trajectory that has kept businesses afloat is a competent, adaptable sales force that can sustain the business’s lifeline during innovation stages. Instead of coming to a grinding halt in between innovation cycles, a company has something to fall back on. Even this method is not foolproof. Unpredictable external events, economic trends and unforeseen consumer receptions can derail a product or service, along with the sales, marketing and operational systems implemented to support it. Staking your business entirely on the success of one product can be a dangerous game. Remember, there was a time when many people seriously thought that the Segway was going to all but change the world. Do these lean times represent the best opportunity to deploy sales performance management software? Almost. Staging a comeback with sales performance management software Most companies dealing with tough economic times have to cut all the excess weight from their operations. It’s likely some combination of staff, initiatives and special projects – in short, the people and elements that contribute to innovation. A company that prunes its resources effectively during this time can have trouble when the economy rebounds and things are looking up. Inc contributor Les McKeown said that businesses in this state struggle with “learned helplessness.” Surviving a tough time has made them understandably wary about taking risks. “[T]his is not necessarily about talent or ability,” McKeown observed. “It’s about conditioning – about being told over and over (albeit for good reason) that there’s no budget, no market, no demand, no additional resources, no new hires, no place for innovation; it’s about a prolonged (and again, needed) emphasis on productivity above all else; it’s about working for a long time in a barren, parched landscape – one that can give little nurture to creativity and risk-taking.” Sales performance management software helps companies address their tightrope-walking position, encouraging innovation in baby steps. It’s a way to integrate lean IT tools – those that don’t need a lot of technical training and oversight – into a more sophisticated business intelligence plan. This combination is one that companies can ride to rise to or surpass their old heights, according to Computer Weekly. Sales performance management software also offer salespeople more autonomy in their roles because they’re the ones responsible for compiling their own data and ensuring they’re meeting personal and company goals. Additionally, having this oversight in place can actually encourage innovation. A salesperson has the tools to notice inefficiencies or places for improvement, and is empowered to experiment within the performance framework. By tracking real-time progress, both employee and employer maintain awareness of how trial projects are doing and can make changes as necessary. This helps the workforce develop a positive, productive energy that can help propel your business out of leaner times.
