You put your salespeople on a quota and expect them to perform, are you pleased?
Yet everyday new sales tools and samples are being developed and their effectiveness is never (or rarely) monitored. To make sure that you are effectively utilizing your sales tools and samples, you need to put in place clear measurements and expectations. In short, you need to treat your sales tools and samples like they’re part of your sales team–because they are.
The value of B2B sales tools and samples
Even the best sales person can achieve better results by using B2B sales tools and samples. After all, most customers are more motivated to buy when they can see the product or see a demonstration of the benefits of your service. Whether you’re selling granite countertops, upholstery fabric or wood trim, giving your customers an opportunity to see the product and hold it in his or her hand can make the difference between an “I’ll call you” and an “I’ll take it” response.
What makes a good sample or sales tool?
Getting a sample of your product into a customer’s hand is important, but all samples are not created equal. The best product samples and B2B sales tools are large enough for customers to be able to discern the finish and/or pattern, are simply displayed so as not to distract the buyer, and are packaged so that they stand out from the competitors’ samples when you leave them behind with a potential customer.
How to measure your sales tools and samples
How can you tell if your product samples and marketing information are effective, whether they are meeting their sales quotas? Consider the following measurement techniques:
1. Compare sales closure rates with and without using the samples. Are your tools resulting in more sales or are they perhaps too cumbersome and actually impeding sales? Comparing closure rates for the same sales personnel with and without the tools is a good way to make this assessment.
2. Measure customer response rates. Not all sales will be closed on the first encounter with the customer. Sometimes, your sales people will need to leave sales material and samples behind for the customer to show to a boss or a designer or so they can ponder whether they want to purchase your product. Measuring how many of those customers ultimately decide to buy is another good way to test the effectiveness of your sales tools.
3. Look at lead generation. Some B2B sales tools are designed to go ahead of the sales team. Things like direct mail pieces or email marketing are usually sent to encourage potential customers to call, visit a website or take other sales-related action. Measuring the number of responses such pieces generate is another way to measure your sales tools’ effectiveness.
