SALES MANAGEMENT

WORKSHEET

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

An important aspect of sales management is making sure that all sales managers are
measuring the same thing. To accomplish this, standards need to be written down and
agreed upon by everyone in the organization. This takes effort and collaboration in the
beginning but once it’s done, sales coaching and feedback become easier and more
effective.

Each sales person should be measured by the same standards so that the sales
management and feedback is consistent and fair. As a sales manager, you need to be able
to describe what a behaviour looks like when:

• It is being performed well (meets expectations).

• It is not being performed well (below expectations).

For example, if you were measuring someone’s ability to build rapport, the ratings might go
something like this:

MEETS EXPECTATIONS
• Establishes commonality before leading into the sales discussion.
• Maintains eye contact.
• Considers the prospect’s personality and style.
• Is conscious of prospect’s attitude changes and responds properly.
• Reads customer’s body language and asks questions to determine probable
objections.

BELOW EXPECTATIONS
• Does not modify their approach and behaviour with customers to improve rapport.
• Does not maintain eye contact.
• Misses verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Voice is monotone.

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

This checklist is to provide you and your sales people documented feedback on their
performance in a sales call. The purpose is to document what the sales person is doing well
and what they need to improve.

Take the time to review each activity and rate the degree to which your sales person
performs relative to where they need to be to ensure success. The goal is to identify 5 or
6 areas for improvement and work with the sales person on those areas over a three to
six month period, depending on the level of time you can commit to coaching. After the
coaching period, go on another sales call and use the checklist again to see if they are on
track or need more coaching.

DO COULD BE NEED TO NEED

TACTICAL SELLING SKILLS
WELL BETTER BE BETTER HELP

Prospecting for new business

Cold calling
Making appointments
Pre-call preparation
Establishing rapport with the prospect
Gaining the prospect’s interest
Differentiating your company from the competition
Understanding the buying/selling process
Understanding the impact of personality on the sales
Ability to adjust to the prospect’s personality
Understanding the prospect’s needs before selling
Listening skills
Qualifying the prospect before selling
Making persuasive sales presentations
Demonstrating Benefits
Creating the desire to buy
Handling common objections
Handling put-offs
Uncovering false objections
Dealing with the price objection
Dealing with price shoppers and hagglers
Handle rejection
Maintain personal enthusiasm
Recognize non-verbal buying signals
Using trial closes
Closing the sale (asking for the business)
Partnering with the prospect/client
Using the telephone as an effective selling tool
Providing strong after-sales follow-up and support
Getting enough referral business
Getting more business from existing accounts

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

DEVELOPING BEHAVIOURAL
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Now let’s look at the type of specific behaviours that indicate what the performance
objectives look like when they are classified as ‘meeting expectations’. Here are a few
examples of behavioural descriptors used for the list on the previous page. You can use
your own behaviour characteristics in place of the ones below as needed.

OBJECTIVE BEHAVIOURS THAT MEET EXPECTATIONS

Prospecting for New Business • Use multiple sources to locate prospects.

• Creates a prospecting plan.
• Develops a prospecting pipeline.
• Keeps complete prospect records.
• Asks for referrals.

Pre-Call Preparation • Understands customer’s business.

• Sets call objectives.
• Sets sales call agenda.
• Has overall account strategy.
Gain the Prospect’s Interest • Got customer’s attention.
• Established rapport.
• Set appropriate business tone.
• Kept the sale moving along.
Understand the Prospect’s needs before Selling • Gained interest.
• Used open-ended questions.
• Encouraged customer to talk.
• Used questions to develop needs.
• Listened to the customer’s responses.
• Used customer’s responses to develop needs.
• Developed needs that we can satisfy.
• Determined who the decision makers are.
• Determined timing of final decision.
• Determined financial limits and/or restraints.
• Uncovered competitive situation.
Making Persuasive Sales Presentations • Linked features and benefits to stated needs.
• Knew at least 3 appropriate facts and benefits.
• Used sales tools.
• Used appropriate evidence.
• Was aware of buying signals.
Demonstrate Benefits • Knew how to demonstrate the product/service.
• Demonstration was applicable to the sale.
• Got and kept the customer involved.

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

OBJECTIVE BEHAVIOURS THAT MEET EXPECTATIONS

Handling Common Objections • Acknowledges the prospect’s objection.

• Encourages the prospect to discuss their objections.
• Responds with appropriate information to
prospect’s objections.
• Did not become defensive while handling the objection.
• Addressed each of the prospect’s concerns appropriately.

Closing the Sale • Recognizes the prospect’s verbal buying signals.

• Uses a trial close at the appropriate time to determine
if the prospect is ready to buy.
• Asks for the business at the appropriate time.

SKILLS BEHAVIOURS THAT MEET EXPECTATIONS

Oral Communication • Speaks clearly.

• Maintains eye contact.
• Used pause effectively to allow the prospect the opportunity
to ask questions and make comments.
• Summarizes points of agreement during the discussion.
• Recognizes signals in voice tone and manner.
• Asked questions which got the prospect to evaluate or
analyze their current business requirements.
• Presents ideas in a logical sequence that listeners can follow.

Time Management • Identifies business priorities and establishes time

focused objectives which support these priorities.
• Determines and prioritizes daily tasks.
• Arrives for appointments on time and ends call on time.
• Completes tasks and commitments on time.

Listening Skills • Listens without interrupting the speaker.

• Takes notes.
• Refers to points previously made by the speaker.
• Feeds back their understanding of what the speaker said.
Ability to Adjust to the Prospect’s Personality • Identifies and matches the prospects buying style.
• Builds rapport using two discernable techniques.
• Identifies prospect’s personality style and
modifies own behaviour.
• Puts the prospect at ease by modifying their
communication style.

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

COMPLETED EXAMPLES
To complete the exercise, add the behavioural descriptors that outline
when a performance objective is not being met, or is below expectations.
Below are several completed examples.

Has clearly defined call objectives and is well planned for calls

MEETS EXPECTATIONS BELOW EXPECTATIONS

• Reviews prospect’s file and determines • Goes into the call unprepared.
call objectives.
• Call priorities are unclear.
• Consistently develops appropriate plans for • Does not enter complete call data in prospect’s file.
each account.
• Often has to ask the prospect for information
• Can identify the status of all accounts. that should be known.
• Develops a call itinerary.
• Documents call summary in prospect’s file.

Assesses Prospect’s Needs

MEETS EXPECTATIONS BELOW EXPECTATIONS

• Focuses on the prospect’s needs and problems, • Prejudges prospect’s needs and assumes
not on our products. their requirements.
• Asks pertinent, probing, open-ended questions • Asks insufficient questions for full understanding
to gain information. of prospect’s needs.
• Anticipates prospect’s needs and explores all • Does not listen carefully.
options to exceed them.
• Begins selling to the prospect before assessing
• Has an appropriate response to prospect’s questions. their needs..
• Accurately identifies prospect’s needs through
active listening.

Handle Prospect’s Objections

MEETS EXPECTATIONS BELOW EXPECTATIONS

• Hears the objection and uses an acknowledgement. • Becomes defensive when a prospect won’t let
go of their point of view.
• Clarifies the objection by restating it back.
• Does not wait to fully hear what the prospect is
• Consistently responds appropriately when an
saying before replying.
objection is a misunderstanding, skepticism or
a drawback. • Does not acknowledge the objection.
• Applies business and product knowledge in • Does not ask questions to seek clarification.
handling objections.
• Opposes the prospect’s suggestions in favour
• Follows up by asking if the objection has of their own.
been successfully countered.
• Does not ask to see if the objection was
• Accurately identifies prospect’s needs through successfully countered.
active listening.

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

Provide Consultative Solutions

MEETS EXPECTATIONS BELOW EXPECTATIONS

• Understands each of the prospect’s objectives. • Fails to negotiate the best solution for the prospect.
• Helps prospect achieve their business objectives. • Rarely states the features and benefits to
gain agreement.
• Regularly makes realistic short term and long term
commitments and ensures they are met. • Misses small details that could be probed further.
• States the benefits when providing features. • Only states features and not the benefits.
• Provides solutions that are clearly win-win for the
prospect and our company prospect’s questions.

Communicates Effectively

MEETS EXPECTATIONS BELOW EXPECTATIONS

• Expresses themselves clearly. • Becomes defensive when someone opposes

their opinion.
• Listens without interrupting.
• Takes too long to deliver a message.
• Doesn’t use company jargon when speaking
with the client. • Cuts people off before they are through speaking.
• Asks superior questions through all the stages • Uses slang when speaking with clients.
of the sales cycle.
• Consistently conducts presentations that are
dynamic, informative and succinct..

By using this worksheet as a guide, you will be well on your way to better sales management,
coaching and communication with your sales people. By doing this on a regular basis, you will
identify areas for improvement and reduce the turnover by correcting the behaviors before they
become a problem.

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL
 SALES MANAGEMENT
WORKSHEET

SALES RECRUITERS HELPING

COMPANIES GROW REVENUE
SalesForce Search is a sales recruiting company which specializes in the
recruitment and placement of sales professionals. We work in nearly every
industry sector from financial services to pharmaceuticals and believe our Hiring
Process can help you find the right sales person for your organization. Sales is
the most critical component of every organization and hiring great salespeople is
challenging. We help companies save time and money by finding the right sales
person quickly and ensuring your organization hits their sales targets.

To start your search for your

next great sales professional today,

call 1-800-461-SELL (7355)

or
visit www.salesforcesearch.com

www.SalesForceSearch.com | 1-800-461-SELL