Improving focus is all about channeling energies into those critical areas, where the potential for improvement is greatest.

Sales Skills
The strongest predictor of sales success is sales people's skills in terms of finding and winning customers.

• We need to focus on improvement in the following areas:
• Develop a lead generation system
• Develop refine and internalize value propositions consistent with your prospects preferences
• Highlight the difference
• Sharpen value creation skills
• Find needs
• Talk strategy - value and partnerships
• Talk results - outcomes and ROI

Sales Management skills
Sales managers need to balance 3 major roles effectively for them to be successful: Strategist, motivator and coach.

Leading the sales force strategically:
Being able to balance the company's needs, with that of customers, and aligning systems and processes to achieve the same. Another key strategic issue is how well the sales manager set's goals, and uses critical metrics in goal achievement measures.

Create clarity and focus for the sales force
Being able to motivate and mobilize the sales teams in achieving their goals. Buy-in and support, a clear vision of what success looks like, and clear operational lines of execution contribute to focus, much of which is achieved through process and systems clarity

Coach sales people in key sales skills
Coaching is a method of behavioral reinforcement. Creating the opportunity to acquire key sales process skills is 50% of the battle won. Coaching in the correct and effective application of the skills is what makes the real difference in effective sales management.

Work with others in the company to achieve sales success
Cross functional collaboration is essential in collaborating to solve customer's problems and to meet their needs. As the sales organization functions as a relationship specialist, the sales manager has an interest in internal collaboration. Specifically focused initiatives such as an x-selling program, helps in bringing teams closer together.

Motivate, then motivate some more, and then motivate again
Recognition and empowerment are powerful motivators. Find every opportunity to process - enable the organization, so that people are empowered around the process. Giving sales people responsibility and holding them accountable for results are further useful catalysts in addressing motivational needs.

The Sales Structure
Six specific dimensions of the internal sales structure need to be addressed:

• Role clarity
• Commitment
• Performance standards
• Responsibility
• Recognition
• Teamwork

Most organisations do well in terms of their sales people knowing what is expected of them, and are dedicated to achieving their goals. Where additional focus is required is in responsibility for the results attainment, recognition and functioning as a part of a greater team. Sales managers play a crucial role by acting as role models of expected behaviour, establishing a tone of co-operation, team work and operational excellence.

The Sales Processes & Systems
In particular, there are 7 key processes that support sales performance. These are:

• Recruitment
• Performance management
• Opportunity management
• Strategic account management
• Reward & recognition systems
• Information systems
• Training & development

Furthermore, specific process focus is required in the area of building processes that help sales people find and win more customers. This is a key emphasis for your organization - Lead Generation and Lead Conversion.

We further need to build processes & systems that manage opportunities in the pipeline, and sales people's performance relative to moving a sale from 'Prospect' to 'Conclusion'

In order to ensure that ' golden hour ' opportunities are maximized, the sales process and skills used during the actual sales meeting is also of critical importance. Particular attention is focused on the skills required to convert the process successfully. These skills are measurable relative to the process.

The manager's role in process and systems management is crucial. Regular pipeline update meetings, allows for improved visibility of what's in the pipeline, and further is an opportunity to allow for positive interaction of what the sales manager can do to help accelerate the sale. Knowing when to change strategic emphasis and guiding sales people from knowing when to change tack, and focus on account management.