Shefali Mathur

Paradigm Shift in Measuring and Rewarding Field Sales Performance The sales world has changed, and might it be said, for the better. This is the time for Sales 2.0 where transparency, clear management and work efficacy replace murky processes, lapsed decision-making and overlapping management. Having said that, the Sales version 2.0 is relatively new and many managers and corporate organisations are barely able to keep with the culture change that comes with this shift. This shift comes in view with the 'Field Merchandising' or 'Feet on Street' being the most sought after option after direct sales campaigns fall flat and there is a dire need to outsource to different 'feet'. This army of professionals is the backbone of any organisation but in the race to conversion and profits, their issues are often overlooked. Automation is imperative for such a kind of sales strategy as the practice is huddled with obstacles, without any clarifications between the retailer, the field salesperson and the main management. As per Richardson's Selling Challenges Study, there is a snag in the performance of sales professionals. Some of the causes are as below: ● ● ● ● Solely possessing selling skills is not enough, agility is vital. Unpredictability in the trends and customer demands. Lack of seamless transition from process to process. Lack of clear communication. Irrespective of being an outsourced employee, the sales professional of today is in dire need of space, recognition and flexibility to make a case that will resonate with the client's business. There needs to be an avenue for successful primary and secondary sales virtue It is vital that he is given the ownership of the process and made accountable only after being given the freedom. Accountability without proper reinforcements is detrimental to their selling abilities where they are performing under pressure without outlining their pitches. How does one alleviate this obstacle? By prioritizing Meritocracy over Autocracy. In a nutshell, by blurring the lines of hierarchy and granting equal attention to all sales stakeholders, it is easier to seal the deal. This should be at the onset of Sales 2.0 where companies equip field sales professionals with the right tools and considers their opinion with respect to new ideas and concepts. After all, they are the ones who are out all day, interacting with people and understanding the market. Meritocracy Over Autocracy 1. Measuring Key Performance Indicators Successful sales is the endgame. However, a lot of time is spent in planning around it which renders the efforts of field sales professionals useless. Measuring key performance indicators helps maintain a track record and a reference diary which can be brought upon for inspiration for future projects. Spreading out a distributor network and undertaking permanent journey plans are key for planning out goals and metric while optimising time. In a way, the KPIs are dependent on these elements as well. 2. Provide Actionable Insights to Managers Managers need to be aware of the current ongoings in order to unlock sales potential. Automated systems and applications can play a crucial role in bringing about this information at the tap of a button. They can improve the 'smart' factor of the otherwise traditional methodologies and help gather insights based on the data and suggestions learnt from previous experiences and tactics. 3. Measure the Actions Taken Sales is all about actions and results. Since numbers are at the core of this branch, why not turn to data analysis and tracking? Field sales operatives can look at the previous digits, and decisions made so far and based on those, implement actions that can steer the proposition in the right direction. Some applications suggest the right steps that can be taken to enable the field sales professionals to be more productive and agile. Simply put, data backed actions is the way to go. They can also organise planned customer visits as a part of target sales strategy and optimize their time on the field. These visits can be around spec 4. Incentives to Improve KPI It is hard to acknowledge but in the earlier times, incentives was hard to come by for sales managers and field professionals. This led to a private revolt where employee retention became a tough task for many organizations. However, in today's digital era, with the help of tracking and data on the fingertips, it can be easier to implement an incentive program. Several applications can today define objectives and KPIs that will ease the path to achieve sales and subsequently, gain the well-deserved incentives. This is a cyclic procedure in which incentives boost KPIs and KPIs boost incentives as well. How to Define KPIs The objectives of an organisation vary from one industry to another. Therefore, in order to establish a clear and successful business model with recurring sales, defining KPIs is primary. It can be slotted into three different buckets - input, outcome and hard measures. 1. Input Measures ● ● ● ● ● Ideas Innovation and relevant surveys Conferences and workshops Venture capitalism Mentorship 2. Outcome Measures ● ● ● ● Tracking and data analysis Experiments and trial runs Prototypes Product placement and visibility 3. Hard Measures ● ● ● ● ● ● Conversion rate Revenue generated Time and money saved Product acceptance in the market Growth and new contracts Order fulfilment Compliance The new blood of sales professionals must align their practices with the compliances laid down by their organisations and the client companies as well. More should be learnt about the regulation adherence and field persons should imbibe these learnings to mould their approach that are free of any glitches and be accepted immediately. Digitization can help in this. Applications can be fed with policies and regulations as per the sector and guide sales professionals in creating spot-on pitches and strategies which can translate into order fulfilment. Goal Setting and Planning Yet another paradigm that requires a resetting for efficient business growth is goal setting and planning. Instead of limiting the visionary approach to the top managerial position, it is important to implement a diversified thinking. Therefore, the goal setting and planning should be reflected with the opinions of reporting managers as well who can synchronise with those on the field. Seamless communication and easy interface is essential to let all stakeholders partake in decision-making. Performance As mentioned in the outcome measure, the performance parameter is very important to determine the KPIs and ultimately, build a working model that will help convert more leads and attract relevant clientele. Performance can be measured by the stakeholders by assessing the following elements: ● New business: The funnel that brings in new business needs to be assessed in order to understand the practices that are working or not working for the business.This is the factor #1 of measuring the end performance. ● Coverage Vs. Productive: This is to assess whether more time was spent on planning the plan or implementing the plan. This differentiates the fine line between coverage and productivity. Several applications can help calculate work productivity and give a scope to improve for the subsequent performances. ● Target Vs. Achievement: Was the sales able to achieve the desired target? The higher management, the reporting managers and the field sales professionals can brainstorm to create feasible and viable targets which will culminate into achievement. If TARGET>ACHIEVEMENT then the performance measure was low. However, if it was TARGET