Top 3 Sales Strategy Questions Every Leader Must Answer

Sales Strategy Questions

Regardless of industry, we have found that three sales strategy questions must be answered to increase your chances of driving consistently profitable revenue growth and high levels of sales rep and client satisfaction.  It starts with the premise that a great deal of organizational time and effort can be wasted unless sales teams are given a clear plan for how they can navigate the increasingly competitive waters successfully.

High performing sales leaders chart a clear path forward with their sales teams so they can be as effective as possible in helping their customers to be successful.

The Top 3 Sales Strategy Questions Leaders Must Answer
Here are the top three sales strategy questions every leader must answer if they want to set their sales team up for success. Our organizational alignment research found that clear answers to these questions accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing sales teams.

You will know you are on the right track when your sales team believes that your go-to-market sales strategy is clear, believable and implementable for your unique situation.

1. TARGET MARKET: Who Are Your Best Buyers?
   Define exactly what type of organization, buyer, and situation comprises your ideal target client where you should win the majority of the time.  Identify target customers by a combination of industry, size, situation, location and title. This provides clear direction and focus to sales and marketing and greatly reduces misdirected efforts to chase and qualify every potential prospect.

   If your win rate is less than 50%, take a hard look at where you are trying to win.

   Target buyers should also be defined in terms of the unique problems that they face that your offerings are able to solve. You should agree upon a clear list of buying triggers that create good opportunities for you.  For example, do you have more success with growing companies whose resources are stretched to the limit or with more mature companies looking to mitigate risk?

2. DIFFERENTIATION: What Specifically Sets You Apart from the Competition?
   Here we come to your value proposition and how you differentiate yourself from the competition. What is it that you can do for the customer that no other company can match?

   Done right, your unique value proposition should be meaningful to your target clients and you should be able to back it up with research, demos, client case studies, testimonials, and references.

   Both your sales force and your target clients should agree on what sets you apart.

3. SOLUTION SET: What Core Products and Solutions Does Your Company Offer?
   Regardless of how many products and solutions you offer, your sales reps and your customers want to know the core offerings that matter most.  Some call these “sales plays” others call them “solution sets.”  Regardless of the nomenclature, you need to articulate the critical few offerings that matter most to your target clients that fit your unique value proposition.

   Remember, the solution set question is not about you, your features, or your benefits.  That is a internally-focused approach best suited for a transactional-oriented sale, not a complex solution selling opportunity. The focus should be external on how what you have to offer can help your customers (and their customers) to be successful.

The Bottom Line
Without a clear and compelling sales strategy and a differentiated message that matters to your target market, your chances of building a high performance sales team are slim. Start by answering these three sales strategy questions.  Then provide the support required to help your sales team to prioritize their time, pursue the right deals, get qualified meetings, exceed their sales targets and help their clients to succeed.

To learn more about setting your sales strategy up for high growth, download 7 Ways to Stress Test Your Current Sales Strategy