Sales pipelines. Notoriously unreliable ~ Why? Because in reality they have become a report that shows little more than how sales people are hitting activity targets. They create waste, and yet to turn them into a tool that could be arguably one of the most valuable and reliable pieces of forecasting information in business decision making is not that difficult ~ if our core principles are followed.
The basis of productive pipelines.
Firstly, a Lean based pipeline is very different from most. Because it serves to remove the shackles of sales people by cutting Muda ~ unproductive work or waste, it is used as a credible indicator of the future and enables an increase in individual effectiveness by identifying the actions and taks to focus on that are profitable.
Productive pipelines need to be run through a a value stream map to identify the areas of opportunity and focus before that are truly effective for sales. They will then tell a story that is easy to understand and is driven by the buying motivations of the customer not the aspirations of a sales person. They lead to enhanced relationships and by default expanded windows of sales opportunity. They not only serve to increase the sales process velocity but will also serve to extend the pipeline both into a pre-sales and post-sales realm and so, if used effectively, can shape future sales opportunities from the customer.
The SalesLeap pipeline process and system.
Our mapping repeatedly demonstrates how for most sales people and sales team’s potential productive available time is in the region of some 28% of potential available time. Furthermore, and worse still is that probable productive selling time is less that 20% of potential productive available time. Meaning that of the 1700 hours potential available time in a salespersons year, in the region of only 98 hours of valuable selling time take place each year.
We know that time is of the essence and so when delivering LeanSales our pipeline model is the hub from which other interactions run. The sales person competency framework and development plans, the CRM application, target and activity management, team collaboration and reporting, revenue and remuneration, training needs and gap fulfilment. All with one common goal.
LeanSales, not delivering more from less but doing more of what is profitable to remove the uncertainty of planning and the mystery of converting.
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