What is sales behavior management, including three benefits and specific methods !

What is sales behavior management?

Behavior management in sales is the process by which individual sales representatives manage the actions required to achieve their goals.
In sales behavior management, each required action is quantified for each phase of a sales project. For example, in the lead acquisition phase, the number of appointment calls made is quantified. Based on the results, we objectively evaluate the performance of each member's activities and identify issues. This helps to improve sales activities and encourage improvements for better results.
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Three benefits of sales behavior management

This section describes three benefits of sales behavior management.

1. Able to give accurate feedback to members

By quantifying each member's behavior, we can identify the issues they are facing based on objective data. This allows us to understand what specific advice and support we should provide. For example, based on the behavior data, we can understand what was lacking in the members who failed to produce results, and provide practical advice for improvement.

2. Easier to keep track of progress.

Knowing the progress of each individual will help you keep track of the progress of the entire team. In addition, if an action management system is established, it saves time and effort to check each time the action is taken. Sales managers can take immediate action when progress is insufficient, while saving time and effort in management.

3. Sales know-how can be shared.

Another benefit of behavior management is the ability to share sales expertise. Behavioral management efforts in sales include the process of log・ analyzing data on each member's sales activities. Through these efforts, we find best practices and best practices that actually lead to sales. Learning from each other's excellent know-how possessed by salespeople with good sales performance will help members improve their level of performance. This is also expected to raise the level of sales capabilities of the entire organization.

Items required in behavior management

There are six main indicators to look at in managing sales behavior. Each of these items will be explained in detail. ‍

1. Number of calls

The number of calls refers to the number of times an individual sales representative calls a customer. It may also be expressed as the number of calls made. The main purpose of a salesperson calling a customer is to make an appointment. Unless an appointment is made, the call will not lead to a business meeting with the customer. The content of the conversation on the call also provides useful data for behavior management. The better the conversation on the call, the easier it will be to arouse the customer's interest and make an appointment.
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2. Number of appointments

The number of appointments is the number of appointments obtained through calls. It is important to note that the number of calls is not the only quantitative measure, but the quality of the appointments is also important. If the number of orders received is high, it can be said that there is no problem with the quality of the appointments. Conversely, if the number of orders received is low, it can be judged that the quality of appointments needs to be improved. It is also important to keep track of the number of visits as well as the number of appointments. The number of visits refers to the number of times you meet with a customer face-to-face. Along with this, it is a good idea to measure the process from the initial call to the appointment, the number of visits, and the time spent.

3. Business meeting details

The progress of a business meeting is affected by individual abilities, skills, and experience. Therefore, the content of conversations and materials presented may vary from member to member. First, organize the items that need to be confirmed during the business meeting with the customer, and confirm that each member of the team is conducting appropriate interviews. At the same time, manage basic manners and behavior, such as how to write and when to send thank-you e-mails after business meetings.

4. Number of pipelines

The number of pipelines indicates the number of business negotiations that are currently in progress and those that are expected to be awarded in the future. Through the number of pipelines, we can regularly update the progress of each business opportunity and move it to the next stage. Identifying ongoing or stalled opportunities allows us to understand the cause of the problem. This will prompt sales representatives to take action to improve the situation. Members will be able to take appropriate action to maximize business opportunities.

5. Lead time to order

Lead time to order is the time taken from the point of first contact with the customer to the point of order acquisition. Lead time is a measure of the efficiency and speed with which sales are acquired. Generally, lead time to order receipt ranges from several weeks to several months. However, the length of lead time varies depending on the size of the company and the industry or type of business. Longer lead time to order may reduce competitiveness. To address this, it is important to improve the sales process and accelerate lead times.

6. Conversion rate

There are two types of conversion rates: the number of leads that lead to a business meeting and the number of leads that lead to an order. These are important indicators in sales behavior management and are used to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales process. The lead-to-opportunity conversion rate is used to improve the quality of leads and to ensure prompt follow-up. The conversion rate from negotiation to order is used to properly understand customer needs and make appropriate proposals.

Behavior management tools for use in sales

Sales behavior management can be implemented efficiently using tools. Here are three tools.

1. SFA (SALES SUPPORT TOOL)

SFA stands for Sales Force Automation and refers to sales support tools. SFA includes action management functions; by using SFA tools to manage actions, tasks such as data aggregation, data analysis, and task visualization can be automated. In addition, information can be shared in real time.
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By using "UPWARD," customer data such as customer profile information, business meeting history, and activity reports can be semi-automatically stored in CRM with a single smartphone. When the person in charge in the field creates a daily sales report or activity report, not only is the report format automatically created on "UPWARD," but also the report can be easily created in his/her spare time by voice input support. The data entered daily is visualized on a map, allowing users to intuitively know which customers to visit next.

For more detailed information, you can download the service document from the following URL.
Download the "UPWARD Introduction Document" at
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2. Excel (Excel)

Excel is a tool that is also used for non-sales work, and its ease of use is appealing, as it can easily calculate totals, averages, and other numerical values. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as the difficulty in checking the input history and the need for knowledge of functions to calculate numerical values. In addition, although it is less likely to be lost than paper, there is a risk of accidentally deleting the input contents or Excel itself.
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3. Daily paper report

If the daily report is managed by a paper daily report, a format will be created in advance with the necessary items for behavior management. Daily reports are filled out by the members themselves and submitted to the manager. The advantage of paper-based daily activity management is that it can be operated at low cost. However, there are risks such as loss and information leakage. Handwritten reports are not only more time-consuming to fill out than those on PCs and smartphones, but they can also be more complicated for managers to compile and analyze.
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Three tips for successful sales behavior management

Finally, here are three tips for successful sales behavior management.

1. Gain understanding from members

If management unilaterally starts a behavior management system without obtaining understanding from members, it may cause distrust and animosity from members. Explain to sales staff that this is a necessary initiative to improve sales activities efficiently, rather than having them report and monitor daily sales activities. It is important to communicate closely with members to gain their understanding of the need for behavior management and to build a better behavior management system.  

2. SET KPIS

KPIs are key indicators for measuring and evaluating the performance of an organization or project. KPIs in sales behavior management include sales goals, number of new customers acquired, and conversion rate of sales activities. Determine what metrics are necessary to achieve your team's stated goals and set appropriate KPIs.
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3. Select tools that match your sales style.

When introducing a tool, choose one that matches the sales style of your company. Even if the tool matches your sales style, if it is not easy to use or if there is insufficient training on how to use it, it may be a burden on your sales staff. In order to make behavior management take root in the field, introduce a tool that is easy for sales representatives to use and that allows them to realize the benefits of behavior management.

summary

SALES BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT IS AN INDISPENSABLE INITIATIVE FOR ACHIEVING SALES IMPROVEMENT. THROUGH BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, EACH MEMBER'S ACTIONS ARE VISUALIZED AND APPROPRIATE IMPROVEMENT MEASURES ARE IMPLEMENTED. THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO GRASP THE PROGRESS OF EACH MEMBER AND THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE, AND ALLOWS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION TO SHARE SALES KNOW-HOW. WHEN IMPLEMENTING BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT, IT IS ALSO EFFECTIVE TO SELECT APPROPRIATE INDICATORS, SET KPIS, BUILD AN EVALUATION MECHANISM, AND INTRODUCE TOOLS SUCH AS SFA TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS EASY TO WORK IN.

If you are considering promoting action management but do not know where to start, please feel free to contact us at digital transformation, a provider of UPWARD, a sales tool that maximizes the value of CRM/SFA.
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