{"id":7114,"date":"2021-09-15T12:19:11","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T12:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.comblog\/how-to-sell-more-and-hit-your-goals-without-a-sales-leader\/"},"modified":"2023-06-13T12:19:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T12:19:11","slug":"how-to-make-progress-on-your-sales-goal-without-a-sales-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/how-to-make-progress-on-your-sales-goal-without-a-sales-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Make Progress On Your Sales Goal Without A Sales Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et-l et-l--post\">\n<div class=\"et_builder_inner_content et_pb_gutters3\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_section et_pb_section_2 et_section_regular\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_0\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_0 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What happens when your key sales leader leaves the organization?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a best-case scenario, this is an opportunity for renewal and new ideas. In a worst-case scenario, the company may miss crucial sales goals. Missing those revenue goals can have a cascading effect on the rest of the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use these<\/span><b> short-term<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><b> long-term strategies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep your sales team focused. Losing a sales leader is a blow to the company, but it doesn\u2019t have to be fatal.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_1\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_1 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why You Can Make Progress Without A Sales Leader<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recovering from the loss of a sales leader becomes easier once you change your perspective. There are <\/span><b>three shifts in thinking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep in mind as you cope with this loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>We\u2019ve All Become More Flexible<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Since 2020, businesses have embraced flexibility to cope with a global health emergency. Reflect on other challenges your company has overcome in the past year. Reflecting on your past wins will inspire the leadership team to find solutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Get Back To Sales Fundamentals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In sales, it is easy to obsess over closed-won deals and commissions. However, you cannot control those results directly. Encourage staff to refocus on the fundamental sales habits that create wins. For example, you might get started with a few simple habits: <\/span><b>talk to five new prospects per week<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and ask for one referral from current customers each week. This practice is vitally important because 44% of executives say that their organization is not effective at managing the sales process (source:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.process.st\/b2b-sales-management\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Process Street<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Encourage Potential Sales Leaders To Step Up<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Losing a sales leader can be a unique opportunity for ambitious salespeople to grow their leadership skills. Consider reaching out to one or two experienced salespeople and ask them about their interest in taking on leadership responsibilities. For example, you might ask two of your successful account executives to coach junior sales professionals on their prospecting calls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now you know the potential opportunity to grow, you\u2019re probably asking yourself questions like this\u2026 \u201cIf our sales VP just left, who exactly is going to drive these changes through the company?\u201d\u00a0 The answer is appointing an interim head of sales.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_2\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_2 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 Steps To Make Progress Without A Permanent Sales VP.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making progress without a full-time sales leader or VP <\/span><b>is possible<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when you <\/span><b>follow these steps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Appoint an interim head of sales<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within a week or two of losing your sales leader, it is vital to appoint an interim or acting head of sales. This interim appointment needs to be credible for the sales team. For example, the President or CEO of a smaller company may take on the role. Otherwise, consider appointing your top-performing salesperson if they have shown leadership potential.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before making the appointment, have a frank discussion about workload with the interim head of sales. There is a higher risk of burnout for a person who takes on multiple roles. Encourage the interim head of sales to seek support as they take on this new responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Set short term sales goals<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interim head of sales might be in their role for a few weeks to a few months. Given that short tenure, it makes sense to set short-term goals. We recommend using the \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/12-Week-Year-Others-Months\/dp\/1118509234\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12 Week Year<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington as a guide. For a day, set aside your annual goals and ask your interim sales leader to set 1-3 sales goals that can be achieved in the next 12 weeks. <\/span><b>Once you have those goals, set up weekly meetings to monitor progress.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Focus on quick wins\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you have a short-term focus and an interim head of sales, it is best to focus on<\/span><b> easy wins<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is not the time to explore international markets if you have no experience in them. Instead, focus your sales effort on existing relationships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>During this interim period, focus your sales activities in the following areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improve customer retention<\/b><span>. Spending more time with current customers may help to boost retention. Take the time to ask about customer preferences. For example, your customer may ask to change their delivery timing to the morning instead of the afternoon. Once you find out these needs, work with customer service and fulfillment to see what changes are possible to satisfy customers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Get more referrals<\/b><span>. Everybody loves word of mouth, but few take effort to encourage referrals. Encourage your sales team to seek referrals from current customers. Referrals to other potential customers at the same company are also worth pursuing. After your salesperson connects with the referral, <\/span><b>send a thank you card <\/b><span>to the person who provided the introduction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Set A Follow-Up Goal<\/b><span>. Missed sales opportunities due to poor follow-up are a common problem. Open your CRM and make a list of people you have not spoken to in the past 90 days. <\/span><b>Reaching out to those prospects again<\/b><span> today might lead to a few new deals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Before closing this section, there is activity to avoid. Consider <\/span><b>pausing<\/b><span> the majority of your sales <\/span><b>recruiting efforts<\/b><span>. Without a dedicated sales leader in place, sales recruiting will be challenging.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"et_pb_row et_pb_row_3\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et_pb_column_3 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et-last-child\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_module et_pb_text et_pb_text_3 et_pb_text_align_left et_pb_bg_layout_light\">\n<div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\">\n<h3><b>4. Recognize The Limitations Of Interim Sales Leaders<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The above solution is best seen as a temporary fix, not a permanent solution to your sales growth. There is a substantial risk of burnout for your interim sales leader because they will be handling two jobs. For example, a company president who takes on sales management responsibility will have less time to focus on managing the company\u2019s overall strategy and financial performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other disadvantage to relying on an interim head of sales for the long term is growth and innovation. A temporary sales leader may not have the skills to provide coaching to the sales team. Further, that person may not have the capacity to pursue new markets or complex sales. Ultimately, a lack of a full-time sales leader puts a brake on your revenue growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Peak Can Help You Find a Sales Leader<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recruiting a sales leader is a crucial leadership decision. You need a person capable of guiding the sales team to achieve their quotas. That\u2019s not all. The best sales leaders also know how to <\/span><b>collaborate effectively with their peers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in marketing, customer service, and other functions. Peak Sales Recruiting has experience<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/how-peak-found-john-deere-a-quality-sales-ops-manager-to-run-3-busy-branches\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recruiting sales leaders for companies like John Deere<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, technology firms, and other industries.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/sales-recruiter\/\">Contact us today<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to discuss your sales leadership needs.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- relpost-thumb-wrapper --><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-thumb-wrapper\"><!-- filter-class --><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-thumb-container\">\n<h3>Related posts<\/h3>\n<div style=\"clear: both\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear: both\"><\/div>\n<p><!-- relpost-block-container --><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-block-container\"><a class=\"relpost-block-single\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/remote-company-culture-with-peakschief-spirit-officer\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-custom-block-single\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 215px;\">\n<div aria-label=\"remote company culture with Kelly Ruddick peak sales recruiting blog\" class=\"relpost-block-single-image\" role=\"img\" style=\"background: transparent url(https:\/\/g9d6c5a5.rocketcdn.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Kelly-Ruddick-on-Remote-Work-Culture-150x150.png) no-repeat scroll 0% 0%; width: 150px; height: 150px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"relpost-block-single-text\" style=\"font-family: ProximaNova, sans-serif;;  font-size: 15px;  color: #6eba57;\">Remote Company Culture with PEAK&#8217;s Chief Spirit Officer<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"relpost-block-single\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/high-touch-is-the-competitive-differentiator-says-auxilliums-new-executive-director\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-custom-block-single\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 215px;\">\n<div aria-label=\"Auxillium Hires New Executive Director\" class=\"relpost-block-single-image\" role=\"img\" style=\"background: transparent url(https:\/\/g9d6c5a5.rocketcdn.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Auxillium-Hires-New-Executive-Director-150x150.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0% 0%; width: 150px; height: 150px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"relpost-block-single-text\" style=\"font-family: ProximaNova, sans-serif;;  font-size: 15px;  color: #6eba57;\">High-Touch is the Competitive Differentiator, Says Auxillium&#8217;s New Executive Director<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"relpost-block-single\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/keytree-senior-sales-leader-sap\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"relpost-custom-block-single\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 215px;\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"relpost-block-single-image\" role=\"img\" style=\"background: transparent url(https:\/\/g9d6c5a5.rocketcdn.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Keytree-150x150.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0% 0%; width: 150px; height: 150px;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"relpost-block-single-text\" style=\"font-family: ProximaNova, sans-serif;;  font-size: 15px;  color: #6eba57;\">Firm Keytree Taps Senior Sales Leader for North America Expansion<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- close relpost-block-container --><\/p>\n<div style=\"clear: both\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- close filter class --><\/div>\n<p><!-- close relpost-thumb-wrapper --><\/p>\n<div class=\"abh_box abh_box_down abh_box_business\">\n<ul class=\"abh_tabs\">\n<li class=\"abh_about abh_active\"><a href=\"#abh_about\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"abh_posts\"><a href=\"#abh_posts\">Latest Posts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"abh_tab_content\">\n<section class=\"vcard abh_about_tab abh_tab\" style=\"display:block\">\n<div class=\"abh_image\"><a class=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/author\/eliotburdett\/\" title=\"Eliot Burdett\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"avatar avatar-80 photo\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s80ampdmmamprg.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s160ampdmmamprg.png 2x\" height=\"80\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2080%2080'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" width=\"80\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"avatar avatar-80 photo\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/media.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s80ampdmmamprg.png?strip=all\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s160ampdmmamprg.png 2x\" width=\"80\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"abh_social\">\n<div style=\"clear: both; font-size:12px; font-weight:normal; width: 85px; margin: 0 0 2px auto; line-height: 20px;\">Connect:<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"abh_twitter\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/eliotburdett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\"><\/a><a class=\"abh_google\" href=\"http:\/\/plus.google.com\/+EliotBurdettPeakSalesRecruiting?rel=author\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Google Plus\"><\/a><a class=\"abh_linkedin\" href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/eliotburdett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"LinkedIn\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"abh_text\">\n<h3 class=\"fn name\"><a class=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/author\/eliotburdett\/\">Eliot Burdett<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"abh_job\"><span class=\"title\">CEO<\/span> at <span class=\"org\">Peak Sales Recruiting<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"description note abh_description\">Before Peak, Eliot spent more than 20 years building and leading companies, where he took the lead in recruiting and managing high performance sales teams. He co-founded Ventrada Systems (mobile applications) and GlobalX (e-commerce software). He was also Vice President of Sales for PointShot Wireless.<\/p>\n<p>Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.<\/p>\n<p>He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"abh_posts_tab abh_tab\">\n<div class=\"abh_image\"><a class=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/author\/eliotburdett\/\" title=\"Eliot Burdett\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"avatar avatar-80 photo\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s80ampdmmamprg.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s160ampdmmamprg.png 2x\" height=\"80\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%2080%2080'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" width=\"80\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"avatar avatar-80 photo\" height=\"80\" src=\"https:\/\/media.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s80ampdmmamprg.png?strip=all\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/1cfb2152f763e6118839d97c16339339s160ampdmmamprg.png 2x\" width=\"80\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"abh_social\">\n<div style=\"clear: both; font-size:12px; font-weight:normal; width: 85px; margin: 0 0 2px auto; line-height: 20px;\">Connect:<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"abh_twitter\" href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/eliotburdett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\"><\/a><a class=\"abh_google\" href=\"http:\/\/plus.google.com\/+EliotBurdettPeakSalesRecruiting?rel=author\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Google Plus\"><\/a><a class=\"abh_linkedin\" href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/eliotburdett\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"LinkedIn\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"abh_text\">\n<h4>Latest posts by Eliot Burdett <span class=\"abh_allposts\">(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/author\/eliotburdett\/\">see all<\/a>)<\/span><\/h4>\n<div class=\"abh_description note\">\n<ul>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/books-about-sales-management-and-sales-leadership\/\">20 Of Our Favorite Books About Sales Management and Sales Leadership<\/a><span> &#8211; October 20, 2023<\/span> <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/how-to-make-progress-on-your-sales-goal-without-a-sales-leader\/\">How To Make Progress On Your Sales Goal Without A Sales Leader<\/a><span> &#8211; September 15, 2021<\/span> <\/li>\n<li> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/how-cmos-can-retain-talent-during-the-great-resignation\/\">Augment Your Recruiting Strategy During \u201cThe Great Resignation\u201d<\/a><span> &#8211; July 26, 2021<\/span> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"><\/span> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What happens when your key sales leader leaves the organization? In a best-case scenario, this is an opportunity for renewal and new ideas. In a worst-case scenario, the company may miss crucial sales goals. Missing those revenue goals can have a cascading effect on the rest of the company. Use these short-term and long-term strategies<\/p>\n<div><a class=\"text-primary mt-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/blog\/how-to-make-progress-on-your-sales-goal-without-a-sales-leader\/\">&#8230;continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;How To Make Progress On Your Sales Goal Without A Sales Leader&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"limit_modified_date":"1","last_modified_date":"2024-02-16T12:19:11","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-success-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7114"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7114\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peaksalesrecruiting.com\/wp-json\/\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}