Five essential steps to drive sales

In today’s market, business owners must leverage every tool at their disposal to drive sales. By focusing on recruiting, training, pricing, controlling discounting and activity tracking, owners can create a framework for revenue growth. Each lever can enhance a company’s sales performance.

Recruiting

The right team is the backbone of any successful sales strategy. Recruiting top-tier talent ensures a business has individuals with the skills, drive and customer focus needed to close deals and make quota. Owners should prioritize candidates who are easy to talk to, likable with a competitive background, and who test well for sales. Cultural fit matters, too — hiring individuals who align with the company’s values fosters long-term loyalty.

It often makes sense to mostly hire reps who are from the area, often from the same schools, and even with similar majors and Greek life choices. Once you find a good person, he or she will usually be able to recommend a few friends, making your recruiting job easy.

Training

Even the best recruits need ongoing training to maximize their potential. Comprehensive training programs equip salespeople with product knowledge, objection-handling techniques and customer-relationship skills. Owners should implement regular workshops, role-playing sessions and mentorship programs to keep skills sharp. Regular investment in sales training also shows the reps that what they do is important. Keep the pressure on and the hammer down.

Pricing

No matter what your reps say, customers don’t buy because of a low price. They buy based on how much the purchase will make them when it’s all said and done. Conducting market research to understand competitors’ pricing and customer expectations is essential. In general, we see higher pricing as a way to generate higher margins and at the same time become the perceived best in class.

Discounting

When I coach sales teams, one of the easiest fixes/levers in my bag of tricks is to stop allowing sales reps to discount as they wish, or at least greatly reduce the latitude. My rule is if the rep thinks we need a discount, then it has to be escalated to a manager to negotiate it. Very often this helps the outcome in the company’s favor.

Activity tracking

Tracking sales activities provides insights into what works and what doesn’t. Owners should implement customer-relationship management systems to monitor metrics like call volume, conversion rates and pipeline building. Regular performance reviews help identify top performers and areas for improvement. By analyzing trends and setting clear key performance indicators, owners can optimize processes and ensure consistent sales growth.

By pulling the right levers, business owners can create a healthy sales ecosystem that will produce a steady and predictable sales machine — and fewer sleepless nights.