Marketing better sales decisions – In businesses, decision-making is a critical skill for those in managerial positions. But if you’re in charge of your company’s sales team, you don’t just make decisions, but you need to make better sales decisions.
Sales leadership can be referred to as the ability to positively change the attitudes and actions of your sales team to achieve or even exceed the sales goals. And part of this influence depends on how you can effectively handle the numerous decisions you face daily.
That said, how do you make better sales decisions? Check out these five tips!
1. Be Accustomed To Data
Most people tend to use their judgment and base their decisions on what’s familiar. Although it’s important to use your instinct, a good decision maker also uses data to back up their judgment and make evidence-based decisions.
So, make sure to use performance data to support your sales decisions. Make sure that you have complete and updated data. If a solution or action is suggested, understand where it’s based and whether it’s supported by data.
Sometimes, we also tend to focus entirely on the data we have, which supports the current problem we face, while ignoring the contradicting information. So, you desire to make sure that you go beyond the data you already have. This way, you can create a complete picture to make well-informed decisions.
2. Challenge Your Status Quo
Most sales leaders tend to stay on their status quo instead of changing for the better. However, staying in your comfort zone with your sales strategies won’t take you anywhere.
You need to ask yourself if you should be changing your course of action to something you’ve never done before. Examine your new options as realistically as possible and take note of the probable result. Also, don’t underestimate the effort or cost involved in making changes.
For instance, if you want to ramp up your sales, would you use the same marketing tactics to gain customers? Would you try your hands on influencer marketing? Should you partner with the same local brands in your previous event or a more popular nationwide business?
Regardless of how you choose to challenge your status quo, don’t forget the first tip–always use supporting data to help you review your options objectively.
3. Get An Outsider’s Perspective
You may be the one making the decisions, but you don’t always have an answer or solution. So, make it a habit to ask others, particularly your team, for information and any opinion.
A good decision-maker is open-minded and an active listener. Consult your sales team and employees from other relevant departments such as customer service and marketing. Find ways to encourage sharing of information in your company and foster a workplace where every voice is heard and considered.
By getting a wide range of views, you can see the problem from as many perspectives as possible, which allows you to understand the issue better. This way, you’ll avoid making a decision with limited solutions and actions.
4. Don’t Fear Doubt
Even the best decision-makers doubt their judgment. Instead of being overly confident, embrace the unknowns and accept that your sales decisions could be wrong and cost your company.
But you don’t want to have decision paralysis, either. Instead, challenge your doubt and test every potential decision you can make against different scenarios. Ask yourself what happens if you make the wrong decisions?
Consider how several decisions could play out while thinking about aspects that could frustrate it. Make sure to test it against your choices and previous scenarios. If a decision appears to be the best choice, then go for it.
5. Learn To Spot Risks
It’s possible to develop an eye for risk. Whenever you make a sales decision, you need to ask yourself, how will you know if you made the wrong decision.
For instance, if you’re considering changing your sales automation platform to cut costs, consider how you’ll know that it’s a wrong decision. It can be:
- Users would complain about the software’s difficult interface
- The software doesn’t provide the level of automation you expect
- You wouldn’t see cost savings at the finish of the month
By training yourself to spot risks, you can take the necessary steps to avoid them.
Take Away
Decision-making, especially in terms of business sales, isn’t always easy. However, better and well-educated decisions can help to achieve your sales goals and improve your company’s bottom line.
So, make sure to pursue the above tips to help hone your decision-making skills and become a more effective sales leader!
