Building a Top Performing Sales Team with Kevin Dorsey
Building a top-performing sales team requires more than just recruiting and onboarding talented individuals; it involves a delicate balance between the art of communication and the science of core sales principles.
In this article, we share the top takeaways from our episode with Kevin Dorsey, SVP at Bench.
Cultivating Top Performers
Top performing sales representatives are not created; they emerge from the right blend of skills, mindset, and execution. These 1%-ers don’t operate on a whimsical approach; they demonstrate consistency in their sales pitch, follow-ups, and overall activity.
Beyond just their ability to sell, they approach their role with a high level of professionalism. They lay the groundwork for their sales expedition – taking good notes, planning their strategy, studying their target market, understanding prospect personas, and getting into the minutiae of their sector. This methodical and, almost scientific approach separates top performers from the rest.
However, it’s essential to note that assembling a team of individual superstars won’t necessarily translate into a winning sales team.
Building a Structure for Success
As a sales leader, the key isn’t about creating top performers but in deciphering the key elements of their success and integrating these into the entire team. As part of this endeavor, Kevin outlines an acronym – WIGGLE – which focuses on analyzing what good looks like in a salesperson and aims to institutionalize it across the sales team.
On a detailed level, the workings of this system start with collecting data – understanding what makes the best performers thrive, looking at who they target, how they handle conversations, and how they follow up. This valuable information is then defined, documented, demonstrated, and deliberately practiced – the 4 Ds.
To illustrate how this theory works in practice, Kevin alludes to a case at his former company. They’d noticed that one of their reps had a significantly higher ACV (Average Contract Value) than the rest of the team, thanks to her exceptional method of presenting pricing. Having analyzed and notated her approach, the company institutionalized her method across the sales team, which resulted in an 18% increase in ACV across the board – a move that translated into significant revenue growth.
Making Good Practices Stick
While having a structured approach is excellent, making it stick is the real game-changer for building a high-performing team. One of the ways to ensure that good practices stick is through consistent and deliberate practice. It’s important to acknowledge that while a win may boost morale or appear as a measure of success, real progress lies in improvement through practice. As a leader, it’s crucial to recognize the behaviors leading to the results and encourage these across the team.
Conclusion
Building a top-performing sales team goes beyond just individual skills. It’s about creating a holistic work culture that promotes consistent growth, continual learning, and constant improvement. It’s about understanding what works best and implementing it across the team to create a system of success. As Kevin Dorsey effectively explains, it’s about blending the art and science of sales to create an unbeatable, high-performing sales team.