3 STEPS TO

BUILDING A
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
SALES TEAM
STRATEGIES TO COMPETE AND WIN IN
THE AGE OF THE EMPOWERED CUSTOMER
Sales professionals who rely on traditional, time-
worn selling methodologies—like selling on features
and functions or unstructured cold calling—are
having trouble keeping up.

As they compete to meet closed revenue targets and

territory penetration objectives, sales leaders need
to implement new initiatives and inspire their teams
to succeed in today’s customer-driven marketplace.
THE
CHALLENGES
Almost 95 percent of Chief Sales percent of the way through their
Officers (CSOs) reported higher product or service evaluations
revenue targets, but nearly 86 before engaging a sales rep.2
percent are not very confident they
In recent years, only about
can reach them1. Unfortunately,
58 percent of sales reps met
numbers are not the only moving
their quotas.3 But what are the
targets. With only 20 percent of
reasons behind that trend? Is
salespeople generating most of
there a skills erosion in the sales
the revenue, and long lead times
profession as a whole? Or are

95%
to get new sales reps up to speed,
quotas unrealistic, considering the
effective sales performance
evolving marketplace and changing
management is more critical than
customer behaviors and attitudes? of Chief Sales Officers
ever. Changing dynamics mandate
(CSOs) reported
the rapid evolution of sales Sales managers are constantly higher revenue
strategies—although more than asked to reduce costs, and do targets1
half of sales organizations struggle more with less. With many
to adapt their sales processes to industries experiencing shrinking
changes in the market. margins, sales managers are
focused on the bottom line as
Customers now have more
much as—or more than—the top
choices to source the products
line. They need detailed, real-
and services that they need. but nearly

86%
time insight into performance to
They’re empowered to educate
identify and react to the issues
themselves about what is available
that are preventing their team
in the marketplace, thanks to vast are not very
from hitting their numbers. Most
amounts of insightful content, confident
importantly, they need to know they can reach
customer reviews, and analyst
what is standing in the way them1
reports that are widely available
of achieving their company’s
online. In fact, a customer may
strategic goals.
wait until they are as much as 70

1. CSO Insights, “Sales Management and Optimization Study" and Accenture, “Powering Profitable Sales Growth"; 2. CEB, "The Digital Evolution in B2B Marketing"; 3. CSO Insights,
"Sales Performance Optimization Study"
THE
COMPETITION
Competitors that find ways to Modern sales teams need to
engage customers early in the adjust to this disruption of their
evaluation process (through thought profession. Consequently, sales
leadership website content, trade leaders need to understand the
shows, or strategic relationships) are new realities of their dynamic
often difficult to displace once they selling environment, and adopt
are perceived as a trusted advisor— new tools and management
as opposed to just another vendor styles which empower their
option to consider. teams and foster an agile, insight-
driven culture. Making instinctual
For many industries, new market
decisions on critical strategies like
entrants and nimble industry
territory assignment and sales MODERN SALES PERFORMANCE
disruptors are using technology
incentives is a strategy fraught MANAGEMENT (SPM) DEFINED:
to level the playing field and
with risk. The most successful Technology solutions that support
capture market share that was the end-to-end data collection,
sales leaders find ways to adopt
historically monopolized by analysis, workflow creation, and
Sales Performance Management
Fortune 1000 companies. Such overall management of sales
(SPM) applications so they can operations in order to systematically
competitive changes mandate a
make confident decisions based improve individual and team
shift in sales strategy.
on quantifiable facts. sales performance.
 Companies
must become more
agile and insight-driven
as products, markets,
regulations, and customer
needs evolve at
an increasingly
rapid pace.
– Gartner

A MORE DYNAMIC
SALES ENVIRONMENT
DEMANDS MODERN
SALES PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGY
THE VALUE OF
AUTOMATING
SALES
PERFORMANCE
Our culture is becoming adopt new strategies which are
increasingly data-driven—and working for peers, partners, or
sales is no different. Sales even competitors.
performance data needs to be
“Companies must become
processed into information
more agile and insight-driven as
and insights in order to yield
products, markets, regulations,
better results. With SPM
and customer needs evolve at an
technologies, the world’s best-in-
increasingly rapid pace,” according
class companies are recruiting,
to a recent Gartner study. This

4-11%
developing, and rewarding their
is where the true value of SPM
high-performing sales teams in
technology comes into play.
ways that drive the right behaviors
and align sales execution with Reports show many companies of annual sales revenues
corporate goals. are missing out on the equivalent are lost, just by ignoring
of 4 to 11 percent of their annual SPM technology
SPM uncovers insights into adoption4
sales revenues, just by ignoring
sales rep behaviors and
the opportunity of SPM technology
incentive effectiveness, so sales
adoption.4 That’s a significant
management decisions can be
opportunity cost, and far exceeds
based on accurate information, not
the price of adopting the right tools
guesswork. Sales leaders can take
to maximize, motivate, and mentor
swift action to either coach their
sales teams more effectively.
team to abandon losing tactics, or

RECRUIT DEVELOP REWARD

4. HSF Research
3 STEPS TO
BUILDING A
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
SALES TEAM
1 MAXIMIZE RESULTS
Ensuring the right sales territory Quota
coverage is critical. Assigning top assignment
performers to must-win regions and
industries plays a significant role in
a sales team’s ability to achieve their
short- and long-term goals.

For sales leaders to effectively

manage performance of their sales
team, they need reliable data on
SPM TECHNOLOGY
how their team is performing at ADDRESS FOUR
any given time. Sales leaders need CRITICAL AREAS
the ability to define what their THAT MAXIMIZE
PERFORMANCE
go-to-market universe should look AND RESULTS
like, and balance those predictions New rep Territory
across a wide variety of variables onboarding coverage
(such as geographical coverage,
depth of industrial expertise, etc.).
Sales leaders must also be able to
assign meaningful quotas, so reps
understand what it will take to be
successful, along with a roadmap Compensation and
to get there. incentive plans

33%
of sales leaders don't trust
40%
rely on instinct to make
54%
still use spreadsheets
the sales information they territory, quota, and to calculate incentive
have available5 incentive decisions5 compensation5

5. The Economist Intelligence Unit, CFO Research Services

2 MOTIVATE 3 STEPS TO
BUILDING A
PERFORMANCE HIGH-PERFORMANCE
SALES TEAM

Driving the right behaviors, keeping your top reps

motivated, and getting underperforming reps to
improve their performance require different tactics.
You can't just let poor performers slide into oblivion,
as it affects team morale. When morale is low, sales
teams can churn and may need full replacement in
two years, eroding any efforts to train and mentor
for long-term success. Top performers shouldn't
be isolated—they should be like a lightning rod that
energizes their colleagues.

MODERN SALES REPS ARE MOTIVATED BY FOUR TYPES OF INCENTIVES:

1 COMMISSIONS 3 GAMIFICATION WITH POINT

AND BONUSES SYSTEMS OR REWARDS

The best sales reps readily admit they are Cash incentives may be king, but gamification is
highly motivated by their commission payouts. starting to rule in modern selling. Just as FitBits and
Compensation plans which are uncapped with WeightWatchers programs bring out the competitor
opportunities for multipliers or accelerators are strong in all of us to strive for better health and fitness, the
incentives. The sales compensation function of SPM gamification functionality of SPM rewards sellers who
technology automates commission payments, and reach goals like customer satisfaction metrics, new
can be tailored to facilitate a variety of performance- customer acquisitions, or existing customer renewals.
based commission plan types. The tools also offer Visually stimulating and rewarding, game mechanics
mobile, on-time updates on how a rep is performing like contests, games, and leaderboards drive team
against their plan and their peers on a leaderboard. and individual quota attainment.

2 PROMOTIONS INTO LEADERSHIP 4 PEER AND EXECUTIVE

ROLES OR TACTICAL TEAM LEADS RECOGNITION

Salespeople are often very ambitious and eager to The best coaching plans use analytics to identify
use their achievements to advance into senior sales activities that drive performance, award points based
positions or management roles. SPM technology on that performance, or rank achievement levels via
can provide performance metrics against targets, leaderboards. Through SPM’s interactive dashboards
captured in visual dashboards and based on real- and social and mobile integration for contextual
time data. By seeing where they rank relative to coaching, sales leaders can set non-monetary incentives
their teammates and their proximity to their plan so that salespeople are reminded of their success and
targets, reps can use the data to set defined goals achievement on a personal level, among their peers,
and career path milestones. with executives, and even with their customers. This
ego boost is the ultimate objective. Sales leaders must
strive to build a team that wants to perform at high
levels and has the confidence to make it happen.
3 MENTOR EFFECTIVELY 3 STEPS TO
BUILDING A
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
SALES TEAM
Every organization has star tools can create consistent selling
performers, average performers, strategies and help new reps get
and underperformers. Forward- up to speed faster.
thinking sales leaders need Nurturing and retaining top
to identify the qualities in star sales performers isn't easy; the
performers, and coach those lower- fact that they are successful
performing sales reps to perform means they will be in demand by
at a higher level. Imparting best your partners and competitors.
practices is key, such as effective Check in with top performers
strategies for pre-sales opportunity regularly, and try to remove Assign the appropriate goals
qualification, closing techniques, obstacles in their path. Internal and milestones to help onboard
and post-sales follow-up. They also social community channels and reps more efficiently, whether
ensure sales appraisal meetings messaging apps are a great way their responsible for business
accurately measure performance for top sales reps to share their development, or for closing deals.
and growth, and tie them together victories and best practices with Foster collaboration between
with coaching scorecards to get their peers, without reducing their seasoned reps and team managers
a transparent, unbiased view of a customer engagement. to streamline the process.
team member's performance.
Coaching underachieving GET MORE FACE TIME
BECOME A MODERN salespeople is equally or more
SALES COACH challenging, though SPM Modern sales professionals need
technology can put sales training to optimize customer face time,
Modern sales leaders are using
and mentoring programs into and equipping them with mobile-
SPM technology to perform
better perspective relative to friendly apps to capture their
guided coaching on an individual
company goals. Using SPM to activities and update their pipeline
basis in order to promote step-by-
identify a rep on a downward opportunities is an effective way
step, measurable improvements
slide is an opportunity to coach to attain that goal. Coaching sales
in performance and motivation.
back to success before they hit reps on social media engagement
With built-in digital coaching
rock bottom. and listening tactics in their
models, they are proactively
territory can prevent your existing
scheduling mentoring sessions START FROM THE customers from turning to a
with each sales rep, defining GROUND UP competitor, or help reps identify
key tasks, providing immediate
Better manage the performance of prospects that may otherwise be
feedback, and analyzing results in
your salespeople as you onboard below their traditional business
realtime. Synchronizing in-person
them into the organization. development radar.
coaching with digital coaching

SALES MANAGEMENT AVERAGE BEST-IN-CLASS

MANDATE COMPANIES COMPANIES

Highly accountable to sales team's

43%
continuous improvement

Provide insights into why top

performers are successful
46%
96%
Align sales compensation policies
46%
with company objectives

Source: MHI Research Institute, Decoding the Decision Dynamic, Executive Summary
COMPANIES
EMPLOYING
INTEGRATED SALES
PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
TODAY CAN
INCREASE CLOSE
RATES BY AS
MUCH AS 10 TO
15 PERCENT. 6

6. Nucleus Research
THE NEW
PERFORMANCE
CULTURE:
MAXIMIZE.
MOTIVATE.
MENTOR.
Creating a high performance culture Selling is more rewarding for reps
requires hiring the right talent, who are confident their employer
standardizing on the right processes, has the right plan in place and is
and implementing the right invested in their individual success
technologies. With data and insights, as well as corporate success.
sales leaders can better maximize Gamification programs and
results, motivate performance, other incentives keep employees
and mentor more effectively. involved and invested in their
organization's success.
When sales reps are at their best,
they understand their book of Modern sales teams are using
business and how they will be paid SPM technology to provide clear,
if they meet their quotas and sales reliable insights on a company's
plan metrics. They are motivated market space, both what is
to assist their peers, as success happening in real time, and what
can have a ripple effect on team needs to happen for a sales team
morale and goal achievement. to be successful. Sales managers
With data and insights,
can take cues from this data and sales leaders can
When the sales team is successful,
build their team to generate the BETTER MAXIMIZE RESULTS,
it can create opportunities for
best possible results to address MOTIVATE PERFORMANCE, AND
product R&D, new channel and/
real-time market conditions. MENTOR MORE EFFECTIVELY.
or service enhancements, and
improvements to the company's
ability to market and compete in
their marketplace.

In addition to helping reps reach and exceed their targets,

SPM tools benefit sales operations teams by:
REDUCING COMPENSATION ERRORS BY 90%
REDUCING PROCESSING TIME BY 40%
SAVING 50% ON IT AND ADMIN STAFFING COSTS7

7. Gartner Research
GO PERFORM
BETTER
Oracle Sales Performance Management (SPM)
empowers modern sales executives with advanced
modeling capabilities to optimize territories, quotas,
and incentive compensation plans as well as sales
productivity and coaching tools to set winning
teams on a path to peak sales performance. It is the
only end-to-end sales performance management
solution in the market that's delivered in a single
cloud, on a single database, with a common UI, with
a central reporting platform, from a single vendor.

oracle.com/performbetter #performbetter

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