Increase Sales by Focusing Less on Quota

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Sales managers seemingly never take their eye off where they stand against quota. But what if I was to tell you that maybe it's time to forget about quota and focus on long-term results? You may think I'm out of my mind. How can a sales organization be led without focusing on quota?

If quota isn't met, the salesperson will clearly lose his or her job. If enough salespeople don't meet quota, then the sales manager loses his or her job. If enough sales managers miss their numbers, then the vice president of sales gets it. Right? Yes, right, but focusing only on the numbers and beating people up over them, instead of teaching, coaching, leading, or managing will only bring short-term results (if any at all).

The first step toward exponential revenue growth isn't about running after quota each month or quarter. The success of the sales organization will come from process. Build competency and skill within the team and execute with that skill until a powerful hold grabs onto the sales organization. Second nature will then drive sales effectiveness month after month after month.

Typically when a new methodology is introduced into the sales organization, it's often treated as an event or project and not immediately linked to the process by which the sales team sells. In fact, training is often viewed as a distraction or taking an eye off of the number. Yet companies spend millions of dollars on sales methodologies and training, while follow-up on these new processes is poor. Sales leadership at the top is typically not engaged. While they may claim to be supporting the approach, often they aren't doing anything to ensure there's a return on the effort and cost.

Many sales leaders think because they have brought in CRM, put salespeople through training, and have a consultant in place to figure out which sales methodology is best, that sales will just increase. It's this same so-called leader or change agent that CEOs have had to remove time and time again because they never actually delivered the number and spent too much money trying to do so.

The fact is that these elements are necessary, but on their own they are not going to make much of a difference. They will not stick unless these elements are controllable and measurable and salespeople are held accountable for learning and following the process.

Sales management is a close relationship between the sales representative and the sales manager. It should not be an exercise where each conversation only involves quota. Effective sales management requires sharing in the responsibility to understand the issues, problems, and gaps in your sales process. Start with a desired process, then coach, lead and motivate reps to follow that process. If you focus only on the number, you will not attain the number.