Seven Easy Ways to Improve Sales Performance

The new year is already upon us, and, for sales reps, that means new targets to hit! If finding ways to improve sales performance is something you’re already prioritizing, you know the work pays off. But if you’re not working to better your performance, it’s going to be a lot harder for you to hit those targets and succeed.

Let’s face it: Sales can be tough. Sales professionals are constantly competing, and there’s always something to beat: last quarter’s numbers, a new brand, another product – to name a few. The only way to stand out from all that competition is to continuously put in the work.

If you want to improve sales performance, there are a few things you’re going to need to do. Check out these seven actionable ways to improve your performance that’ll get you on the right track in 2022.

1. Overhaul Your Sales Goals

Every new year is a chance to do better, be better, and sell better. It’s also an opportunity to update your goals.

BombBomb Director of Revenue Operations Daniel Hall shares that the number one key to overhauling your goals is knowing where you start. Daniel says, “Goals need to be measurable. To accomplish this, every goal needs a baseline.” Establishing baselines takes work, but there isn’t a way to measure your success without them. So what are some baselines you need to know when overhauling your goals?

• Closing rates
• Qualifying leads
• Conversion rates
• Appointment acceptance rates
• Referral customers
• Average sales cycle length

2. Humanize The Buying Journey With Video

Human-centered selling puts your prospect first. And using video is one way to take a more human-centered approach to your sales process. Video establishes a genuine human connection, helps foster real conversations, and showcases your authenticity – all things that can’t be done over the phone or through plain-text emails.

In addition to humanizing the buying journey, using video will help you enhance your sales performance, because:

Video helps you reach busy decision makers more quickly and efficiently. 

It takes less than three minutes to record and send a video to a prospective customer. And it sets you apart from plain-text email and digital pollution because your recipients can see your face and hear your voice – making you much more difficult to ignore.

Video keeps communication clear.

Have you ever sent an email that was misunderstood? When you communicate with video, your intent, words, emotion, and tone are present for your prospects to see and hear. And this makes it much more challenging to misconstrue a message.

Video helps you stand out from your competition.

While your competition is cold calling and sending plain-text emails, your prospects are connecting with you on a more human level. You aren’t just a message on a screen – you’re a real person creating meaningful human connection.

3. Talk Less, Listen More

One of the biggest inhibitors to closing is when prospects don’t feel genuinely heard. But when a prospect feels heard and understood, they’re much more likely to trust who they’re doing business with. And trust helps close deals. So, how do you gain this understanding? By actively listening.

Below are a few techniques to brush up on that’ll help you talk less and listen more.

• Listen to your prospect’s tone and consider emotion.
• Listen to understand, not to respond.
• Ask open-ended questions that elicit more than a “yes” or “no” response.
• Convey empathy using phrases such as, “I understand. That must be tough.”
• Summarize the conversation.

4. Perfect Your Referral Strategy

Referrals are just warmer leads. In fact, according to HubSpot, 47% of top sales performers request referrals regularly to help hit their numbers.

A good referral strategy is vital to tap into that network of warm leads. When you’re asking for referrals, it’s essential to:

• Under-promise, over-deliver.
• Keep your prospects engaged by providing value when they don’t need you.
• Use multiple channels of communication.
• Just ask for the referral. Explain why you’re asking, who you’re in the best position to help, and then ask for the referral.
• Say, “Thank you.”

5. Reformat Your Workflow For Maximum Productivity

When you work in a fast-paced sales environment, productivity is essential to outstanding performance and big wins. Just a few hours can make the difference between landing a promising prospect and losing them to your competition.

To improve your productivity, consider dialing in your tech stack with productivity apps, developing boundaries by stopping interruptions, and time blocking to stay on track with important tasks.

6. Focus on the Customer Experience

Sales is fast-paced. But instead of moving on quickly to the next promising lead, take time to focus on your prospect’s customer experience. The way you make your customers feel directly correlates to sales success. A positive customer experience makes you memorable and builds loyalty. You can do this by:

• Using video to establish a connection, share emotion, and showcase your humanity.
• Responding to questions and concerns with honesty and empathy.
• Personalizing the buying experience.
• Saying, “Thank you” to create a feeling of value.
• Focusing on human-centered selling by putting your prospect’s feelings and pain points before your product.

7. Get Organized

Being organized is key to sales success. If you find yourself struggling to manage your data and essential tasks, and keep track of leads and prospects, now is the time to change that.

“The best salespeople are the ones who are able to be incredibly organized,” says Daniel. “As your career in sales continues, your pipeline is going to grow. As a sales rep, your ability to organize that information is going to make all of the difference in your success.”

Now that you’ve got a list of surefire ways to improve sales performance, what are you waiting for? The only way to improve your performance this year is to start today.