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The Only Way to Ensure Sales Problems Don’t Reappear

Do you ever feel like you are solving the same problems you are solving before — and every single time it’s an emergency?

Sometimes working in sales ops can feel a little bit like you are trapped in a zombie movie. Just when you think you have eliminated all the issues that have been threatening your operations, one of them comes back to life and you have to fight the same fight all over again.

We often tell people,

The only way to ensure sales problems don’t reappear is by implementing systemic solutions.

In other words, until you stop firefighting and put systemic measures in place, you will keep fighting those same zombies over and over again.

Of course, implementing systemic solutions easier said than done. When you are in the middle of a situation that feels like an emergency, it’s hard to make time to solve the bigger issue. It’s just so much easier to slap a Band-Aid on the problem and move on to the next one. Even though we know we haven’t really solved the underlying issue, we settle for handling the immediate threat, promising ourselves that we’ll take care of it later “when we have more time.”

But as we all know, the day when we will have more time will never arrive.

If you find that your problems are constantly reappearing, try taking a step back and asking a broader question. Instead of focusing on the specific circumstances, consider how you might address the general conditions that resulted in the problem. For example, instead of asking yourselves what you need to do to close a big deal that is on the rocks, ask what you need to do to improve your sales process so that the deals fewer get dangerously close to falling apart.

The table below highlights some common recurring sales problems and demonstrates how to reframe the question so that you can solve it systemically. It also links to SellingBrew resources that can help solve the problem.

Instead of asking this Ask this Resources to help
Another big deal is on the line. What do we need to do to close it? When can we step back and look at the broader sales process instead of firefighting every deal? How to Improve Your Close Rates
The end of the quarter is almost here and we’re way below quota. What do we need to do? When can we develop prescriptive account plans so we’re not scrambling every quarter? Leading Edge Account and Territory Planning
Our retention rates have taken another hit. Why did those customers defect? When can we start being more proactive about retaining customers instead of just reacting when the leave? How to Retain Your Key Customers
Just wasted my time on another load of leads from marketing that didn’t pan out. When is it time to reevaluate our qualification criteria so we can focus on prospects that will actually convert? How to Identify & Target Your Best Prospects
We finally closed that deal. It took 8 months…like so many have these days. When can we examine our sales processes and see why our cycle times are so long? Just imagine if we reduced them even a little bit. Accelerating Sales Cycles

For a broader look at how to solve any issue that arises, check out the webinar on Diagnosing Sales Problems. It can help you find the root cause of your “zombie” problems and eliminate them once and for all.

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