7 Sales Development Metrics That Are Stupid Impressive

Sales development metrics are essential to monitor, as no one enjoys wasting time - or money! When things start unraveling and your sales department isn't measuring up as expected, here's how to ensure you hit the nail on the head to achieve an impeccable sales performance, ensuring it's on the up and up - always.

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Why your sales efforts aren't measuring up

Measuring results compared to the initial sales goals set out at the beginning of your marketing strategy can be a pleasant surprise. Or quite the shocker if you're not prepared to see a significant deviation between the two, with lost sales being one of the biggest roadblocks to not achieving expected sales revenue. 

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Inspecting your sales pipeline

Examining your sales pipeline can be a mission, and could be one of the biggest stumbling blocks as to why your SDRs aren't making your sales model work. This is where a CRM tool using automated technology is simply brilliant at pinpointing where exactly the sales strategy has come undone. Or, alternatively, to identify what is working like a bomb in the journey from attracting leads to qualifying prospects and then to, eventually, closing a sale. 

Important here is to note the difference between the sales funnel, and the sales pipeline, and which to use to measure sales efficacy. Whereas the sales funnel points to the psychology and levels of interest within the sales journey, the sales pipeline accurately depicts the actions taken at each stage in the sales journey and is, thereby, an immeasurably valuable tool for measuring and making predictions going forward.

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Sales metrics for sales reps to monitor

Sales development reps are the driving force behind reaching and connecting with leads. Hence, it is crucial they have the tools to drive the outreach process home at every opportunity. These are key metrics every SDR should know about:

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 1. How long does the lead take to respond?‍

Capturing a lead in time is what it's all about, especially since it's the first step right at the beginning of the sales pipeline. Ensuring the time-lapse is kept to the minimum when responding to an interested lead should increase the chances of roping them in when they're in the most responsive frame of mind to take that next step.

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2. Following up on leads?

Following up on ALL leads should be a priority for your SDRs to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the quest to spark interest in the minds of cold leads as well as to nurture warm leads. It is this level of thoroughness that will ensure productivity levels are kept at an all-time high, which should increase the likelihood of more leads being captured and converted.

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3. Measuring who's interested and who's not?

Here, it's about measuring the response rate in totality as well as categorically if multiple channels are in use. Additionally, sales development reps might find it helpful and enlightening to drill into sales message sequences on a micro-level to see what causes a lead to back out or what motivates them to stay the course as the outreach process unfolds.

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4. Systematically - how smooth is the closing process?

Looking at the strategy a successful SDR employs to reach the end with as few engagement strategies as possible is a good example to follow for other sales reps who may be taking a far longer route to reach the same end result.

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5. How many meetings have landed?

An excellent way to determine if a sales rep is the right person for the job is by measuring how many meetings are landed successfully. Because a lead that is understood and is prospected to with intentionality is someone who is more likely to go on the journey with your SDR.

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6. What are the conversion rates?

Conversion rates speak volumes about how well your SDRs are performing. A percentage of, ideally, 13% and above is proof your SDRs are bridging the gap between MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQLs (Sales Qualified Leads), who are further down the sales funnel; this is where sales nurturing can begin to take affect in an effort to strengthen relationships and improve conversion rates.

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7. What is the won and lost ratio?

The formula here is simple to understand and execute, and essentially summarizes the customer experience by dividing total sales by sales opportunities to determine the sales won versus sales lost ratio. These results can then be analyzed to understand the sales outreach strategy better, specifically, if it was focused on the right objectives to help bring about positive response rates from leads and prospects

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A metric that can be overlooked

A metric that can be overlooked is how well your team is performing collectively and individually. Building a strong and reliable work culture is how it all starts and can dictate how teamwork and individual performance play out throughout the course of the sales strategy implementation. A healthy organization starts with impeccable and empathetic leadership, which then trickles down and converts into positive employee morale and better-than-average performance levels.

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Metrics matter

Some metrics may be obvious, while others may not seem as important. However, it's essential to eyeball key metrics that are specific to your business. Knowing which metrics are suitably relevant will ensure the right questions are being asked at both an industry and an organizational level to help smash your sales objectives. Or let HANGAR49 help if you've experienced an eclipse in your sales trajectory.