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So you’ve hired some hot shot sales reps, but are they fully equipped to maximize your investment in them? Here are eight things to think about to ensure top performance of your fun squad:

1. Does your compensation structure encourage the behaviors you want (not just the outcomes?) For example, does it include a focus on strategic goals like customer satisfaction or are reps just compensated on revenue attainment?

2. Have you looked for ways to maximize your sales reps day, allowing them to focus more of their time on revenue producing activities? For example: Copytalk allows reps to speak call notes directly into their cell phone and automatically transcribes them to Salesforce.com. What a timesaver!

3. Have you put team compensation in place to encourage other departments like marketing, engineering, business intelligence will focus on ensuring strong sales performance as well?

4. Have you provided sufficient support staff to frontload less intensive or administrative activities like lead generation, appointment setting, and travel arrangements?

5. Have you got a comprehensive lead nurturing loop in place to keep your company and your reps top of mind until clients are ready to engage?

6. Have you provided a strong customer service channel so reps can hand off issues confidently and not spend inordinate amounts of time solving customer issues when they could be selling?

7. Have you implemented a consistent feedback mechanism so reps can communicate customer suggestions to help shape development and planning? Have you trained reps to ask customers about their ideal products and services so you can give your market exactly what they want?

8. Have you provided sales reps with clear, consistent messaging? Not just a pitch fest, but solid, simple value statements? Have you augmented these with leave-behind print collateral, referenceable accounts, email templates, benchmark data, industry research, powerful, memorable videos, etc? Have you created messaging that is well targeted and can easily be shared by clients with their internal clients?

Thanks to Casey Smith Founder of Dividend Partners for his help with this list of sensible sales performance ideas.