The Sales Process Club…Are You in Yet?

It used to be a joke among a small group of people… The Sales Process Club. I met one of the original members more than a decade ago at an industry conference where we both were speakers. I was sharing some of my early thinking on sales processes and their importance to sales performance, and my newfound friend smiled and said, “Hey, you should join our club.”

“Which club is that?” I asked. “The Sales Process Club,” he responded. “It’s a group of like-minded folks who are certain that sales processes are crucial to consistent performance and that all sales forces should be maniacally defining and measuring their processes. We’re big believers… And you can join the club too.” He paused and smiled more broadly. “And if YOU join, then there will be about 10 members on the entire planet!” He laughed riotously before continuing.

“Every year we get together say to one another, ‘This is FINALLY going to be the year that sales processes will become important. FINALLY sales leaders are going to deploy formal processes that they sincerely expect their salespeople to follow. FINALLY they’re going to start measuring what their sellers actually do, rather than just begging them to make quota. FINALLY sales processes will be a priority.’ And then after we drink a bunch of wine and celebrate the long-overdue triumph of the mighty sales process, we go back to our day jobs and reconvene a year later… And then we say it all over again!” More riotous laughter – this time by both of us.

And that’s how it was before the age of process enlightenment in the sales force. Sales forces had processes in theory, but they weren’t followed in practice. Sales forces had CRM and reporting, but they primarily used to generate forecasts. Sales forces talked about consistent execution, but it didn’t really get it. Sales processes existed, but their power wasn’t appreciated. And every year, a dozen of us would light-heartedly toast the long-awaited arrival of the sales process.

Well, the Sales Process Club has grown quite a bit in the last decade. In fact, the Club probably has millions of unknowing members spread around the globe. Because in 2015, sales processes ARE a priority. Sales forces have deployed them. Sellers follow them. CRM is used to proactively manage them. Consistent execution has become the expectation, rather than the exception. Sales processes have arrived in earnest. And enrollment in the Club is at an all-time high. But the club isn’t full yet.

According to the sales research firm CSO Insights, slightly less than half of all sales forces currently have formal sales processes in place that are executed consistently – slightly more than half don’t. But, those enlightened sales forces that do have formal sales processes SUBSTANTIALLY outperform those that don’t. More of their reps make quota, more of their forecasts are achieved, and more of them exceed their companies’ annual targets. So sales processes have finally arrived, and the research is in… Better sales processes lead to better sales performance. Indisputably.

So if you’re in the enlightened group that has deployed sales processes and is enjoying the fruits of consistent execution in your sales force, welcome to the Club. Grab a glass of wine and help us celebrate the fact that sales processes have FINALLY come of age. But if you haven’t yet joined us, fret not – there’s still time. The Sales Process Club will always be here, and it will never close its doors to newfound friends.

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The Sales Process Club…Are You in Yet?