Good communication with your sales team is a forgotten art

Communication Is Key

Being a great sales manager is hard work. It doesn’t matter if you’re a top performer with a great track record in , being a manager requires an entirely different set of skills. Communication is key and will become your best asset – alongside great listening skills.

Motii recently surveyed a range of clients, big and small. From with three Pipedrive users to those with 90 Pipedrive users, here’s what we learned from both sales managers and salespeople.

• One-third of sales managers feel they cannot control the KPIs they are held to.
• Over 60% of salespeople missed quota in the last quarter.
• 75% of salespeople feel their sales team is carrying dead weight.
• Less than half of all salespeople feel they truly understand their customer.
• Two-thirds of salespeople feel their pipeline is accurate.
• Just under 50% of salespeople feel they don't have the materials they need to close properly.
• Less than 60% of sales people feel they can access the people they need to do their jobs properly.

Fix It With Better Communication

While all of this is interesting, the key points that arise from these findings revolve around ensuring salespeople feel heard. They need someone to answer their questions, provide them with the materials they need to succeed, along with the right systems to support their role. These are all issues that can be fixed with better communication.

Even if you are using Pipedrive well, the chances are there are improvements that can be made. Businesses change and evolve over time, but too often, their Pipedrive doesn't change with them. Another common problem is that their pipelines and processes often reflect the wishes of sales managers, instead of the salespeople at the coal face and the customers.

Your Pipedrive pipeline should reflect your interactions with your customers and be designed with them in mind. You need to get out there and talk with your salespeople and customers. Listen. Learn. Make changes. Build a customer journey map. Compare it to how your sales pipeline looks and functions. Check your activities and lost reasons. Are they still relevant? Are they being used? If not, ask why not.

Ask Your Sales Team

Ask your salespeople if they need updated materials and what changes they'd like to see. Being at the front of the customer journey, they often have a far better insight into the process and can provide valuable suggestions.