The Secret Sauce To Performance Excellence

You cannot have a successful business by focusing on goals alone.

This week I want to lean into process orientated KPI’s. 

Any start-up would do well to remind themselves that the compound effect of what we consistently do breeds success, not one freak event or retail listing.

Ever pondered why the best of the best, whether that be sports teams or businesses swiftly dismiss the notion of chasing results like a dog chasing its tail?

It's because bagging a championship, smashing sales targets, or hitting that elusive product-market fit aren’t checkboxes to tick off. No, the real grunt work is in the nitty-gritty, the stuff that's less glamourous but packs a punch.

Take sales targets, for instance. Your top sales person, can only control the controllable's; sealing the deal hinges on a willing buyer, after all and many aspects that are not within their control. So, setting a quarterly goal of raking in a cool million means focusing on what's within grasp – hustling those sales calls, honing the art of effective communication, perfecting the nurturing dance (see more of this below).

The Dangers of Tunnel Vision on Results

How many times have you heard a premiership manager on a run to the title, explain to a reporter that it is only about the next game, whats within their grasp - NOT the title itself. When teams turn a blind eye to the fact that stellar outcomes stem from solid groundwork, trouble brews:

1. LEAKY PERFORMANCE: Any wiggle room in the controllable aspects of performance means leaving potential on the table. Time and effort diverted elsewhere spell wasted resources.
2. CULTURE TOXICITY: When success becomes a game of chance, teams risk sliding into a toxic culture where sloppy wins steal the limelight, and valiant efforts meet harsh reprimand. How many businesses do you know where one legacy relationship makes the account manager look amazing because they deliver the big number, when those hustling to make new ground often come short - how can you level the playing field ?

Paving the Way for Process-Focused Triumphs

Picture this as upgrading your performance from an art to a science. It won’t be flawless – spoiler alert: perfection's a myth – but it sure beats flying blind.

Here is an example of how we would apply.

Sales Pipeline Efficiency Enhancement

Instead of setting a goal like "Achieve £1 million in sales revenue this quarter," let's break it down into actionable tasks:

1. Prospect Research and Targeting: Allocate time for sales reps to research and identify high-potential leads within the target market segments.
2. Personalised Outreach Campaigns: Develop personalised outreach strategies tailored to the needs and pain points of each prospect, focusing on building meaningful connections.
3. Effective Sales Collateral Creation: Equip sales reps with compelling sales materials and presentations that clearly articulate the value proposition of the software solutions.
4. Active Prospecting and Follow-ups: Implement a structured schedule for proactive prospecting and timely follow-ups to keep the sales pipeline flowing.
5. Continuous Sales Training and Development: Conduct regular training sessions to enhance sales skills, objection handling, and product knowledge among the sales team.
6. Qualification Criteria Refinement: Continuously refine the criteria for qualifying leads to ensure sales efforts are focused on prospects with the highest likelihood of conversion.
7. Pipeline Visibility and Management: Utilise sales pipeline management tools to track the progress of deals at each stage and identify potential bottlenecks for timely intervention.
8. Feedback Loop Integration: Establish a feedback loop between sales and marketing teams to gather insights on lead quality and campaign effectiveness for iterative improvements.

By focusing on these actionable tasks, the sales team can streamline their processes, increase efficiency, and drive better sales outcomes without solely fixating on the revenue target.

While every good process is a work in progress, it's crucial to remember that aiming for perfection often leads to paralysis. By focusing on what we can control, we inadvertently influence the uncontrollable aspects of our performance.