Shake up the sales process to escape the recession

You may in fact need to "turn your head around" to lead your business out of the Great Recession. At least that's what Charlie Bishop, president of Chicago Change Partners Inc., a Northbrook firm that helps companies navigate change, advocated in last week's column.

There's value to Bishop's belief that a refreshed attitude matters.

There's also value in Russ Riendeau's call to implement changes that by their nature "will change the organization's perception of itself." Sometimes, Riendeau says, simply announcing "We're going to make some changes so we can remain competitive" will be enough to jump start your company - assuming, of course, that you actually make changes.

Last week's column centered on Bishop's ideas. Now it's Riendeau's turn.

Riendeau is senior partner of East Wing Group, Inc., a Barrington sales and marketing search firm coming off perhaps its best first quarter, and a sales savant with what you're about to discover are definite opinions.

"You can throw dollars at the problem," Riendeau says. "Create some new marketing materials. Sponsor an event. Host an open house. Hire a consultant.

"Or you could change processes. You'll spend time and energy rather than money, but you'll have measurable results."

Be forewarned that the sales-centered changes Riendeau recommends tend to blow away cobwebs. Here's what he suggests:

• Rank your sales staff's performance, so everyone within the company knows who's producing. Doing so "will immediately change the paradigm," Riendeau says.

• Eliminate the bottom 10 or 20 percent of the sales team. You'll send a message to survivors - "The reaction will be 'I'd better get going or I'm going to get going,'" Riendeau says - but you can use the saved dollars for support.

"If you're spending $60,000 on a person whose position is eliminated, that $60,000 might strengthen the incentive pool for your top performers," Riendeau says. "(Or,) the dollars could go to professional sales training or a unique video your sales people can use in the selling process."

• Adjust compensation. If, for example, your sales people are paid on an 80 percent salary-20 percent commission basis, change the numbers. Go to 70-30 or 65-35. Your sales staff may scramble to maintain income or, better, to take advantage of a greater commission opportunity. Either way, "you'll create immediate accountability," Riendeau says.

• Make customer calls, but take the appropriate sales person with you. "Customers like to do business with the owner," Riendeau says. "They like to see the face of the organization. Getting out and visiting your customers tells them you're committed."

• Refresh your marketing data. "If your website says Copyright 2007 - well, the world has turned upside down since then," says Riendeau. "People look at outdated web material and wonder. You need to update the verbiage."

Questions, comments to Jim Kendall, JKendall@121MarketingResources.com. © 2010 121 Marketing Resources, Inc.