Managing Sales Teams

Managing salespeople can be extremely challenging, even when you have a great team behind you. It’s even more complicated when you juggle sales leadership with other responsibilities. Some people who own MSPs often try to run their businesses and keep an eye on service and delivery at the same time. This means they can’t give their full attention to sales leadership.

You might be following conventional sales management advice like focusing on effective communication and knowing what motivates your sales reps but remember that avoiding common mistakes can be an even bigger factor in determining your success.

CharTec’s Director of Sales, Nick Points, has educated sales professionals worldwide and has a wealth of knowledge to share about effective sales leadership.

In a recent CharTec Academy session, he outlined the biggest mistakes he sees sales leaders making over and over that are keeping them from achieving their fullest potential. These are all things that you are likely to run into in your MSP, whether you’re experiencing them now or they show up later as your business expands. However, the good news is that it is never too late to make a positive difference.

You don’t have a well-defined product offering

One of the biggest blunders Nick sees is a lack of a well-defined product offering. It may be tempting for some salespeople to come up with offerings on the fly.  However, if you adjust the options they include to suit the client at hand and clinch the sale, this will lead to problems with operations.

When you have multiple offerings and options within those offerings, your operations, support, service, and delivery teams are going to struggle to keep everything in motion. When a client calls with a problem and no one knows what is included in their package or what rate to charge them, it is frustrating for everyone. The client is frustrated because you can’t jump right in to help them, and your team is frustrated because no one knows what to do.

Another problem with having too many options is that you won’t be confident when talking to clients. To avoid this, standardize your offering and the services you will perform and figure out how to do it at a flat rate. For example, offer just two tiers with a clear breakdown of pricing and what is included, and explain to the prospect which one suits their needs and why.

You don’t have a clear sales planner strategy

Without a defined sales planner strategy, you will not get the results you want. It is a goal of many MSPs to get more recurring revenue and to do that, you need to align your compensation with your sales team to encourage them to do well.

Implement a sales process that pinpoints every phase in detail. Start with the marketing message and going through each step the sales team must take. Your salespeople need to follow the sales process from the first interaction, through closing on an appointment, presenting to decision-makers, and securing their signature.

You’re hiring the wrong salespeople

Recruiting salespeople should be done cautiously. One of the biggest MSP blunders is hiring the incorrect salesperson. Even the best vetting can’t prevent a terrible hire, so the best you can do is cut your losses quickly.

We cover some of the signs you could have hired the incorrect salesperson in our blog post. Also, consider using DISC as part of your hiring process.  Here is an article about it. “DISC: A powerful tool for MSP Management.

You fall short with accountability

There are so many dashboards and analytics available to sales executives these days. It’s easy to become mired down in micromanagement. However, it’s important to ensure that everyone is doing their part. It’s okay to have faith, but it’s also okay to verify. Nick is a firm believer in managing by exception. It’s important to focus on the most pressing issues at hand rather than ignoring everything else.

Another problem arises when you’re so focused on the result – the revenue – that you end up developing tunnel vision. You need to be consistent about doing the right activities every day to get the results you want. Salespeople can influence the result of a contract by attending networking events, prospecting, sending emails, and engaging clients continuously.

Managing sales teams isn’t straightforward. There are always nuances, but one thing is certain: avoiding these classic sales missteps can help any MSP succeed.

If you like the material on this blog but would like to learn more, you’re in luck! This blog has a wealth of knowledge. Managed Service Providers can learn more about CharTec’s proven MSP sales process by attending our next Academy. During the event, you can schedule a meeting with Nick Points, our Director of Sales, to discuss your specific needs. That’s a tremendous advantage right there. Register today to become a member of our family!