SaaStrU 101: How To Create a High Performing Sales Organization: Five Strategies for Driving Peak Performance through Reimagined Management with Hootsuite's CRO

Editor's Notes

1. Melissa to share story
2. Rep Attainment: Where We Are Now According to HubSpot’s 2021 Sales Enablement Report, the typical AE spends 2.7 years on the job and takes 4.7 months to ramp According to DDI’s Frontline Leader Project, 57% of workers have left a job because of their manager. When it comes to retaining talented SDRs, we can’t underestimate the importance of having an effective sales manager. Millennial salespeople are part of the fabric of our current workforce — and 25% recently said they plan to leave their current job within a year. In the same Deloitte survey, 44% said they planned to leave their job within two years. Only 24.3% of salespeople exceeded their quota last year. According to LinkedIn, 60% of sales leaders anticipate their team won’t be able to hit quota by year end. 27% of companies don’t have an onboarding process for salespeople. Of new reps that did go through an onboarding program, only 26% said their training was effective.
3. How Sales Organizations Are Modelling Rep Attainment Expectations According to Hubspot, a common rule of thumb is that 80% of your sales team should be able to meet their quota most of the time. A survey by Marc Wayshak's study also showed company culture and management effectiveness matter a lot to salespeople. They're so important the average rep rated these two factors as more important than base compensation, commission, job role, and job flexibility. 44% of sales executives believe their organization doesn’t manage sales processes effectively. Salesforce published its third annual State of Sales report, which revealed that 57% of sales reps are not meeting their quotas. Just one hour per day spent on non-selling activities cuts earning potential by 12.5% (based on a 40-hour work week). But many organizations exceed that stat. Gartner reports that number is closer to 16.4%. 82% of employees say a lack of career progression would lead them to quit their jobs. It’s critical to provide training and growth potential. High-performing sales organizations already do this, and they’re twice as likely to provide ongoing training as low-performing ones.
4. When everyone wins → People believe they can win → They win → They stay longer
5. When everyone wins → People believe they can win → They win → They stay longer
6. When everyone wins → People believe they can win → They win → They stay longer
7. When everyone wins → People believe they can win → They win → They stay longer
8. *Model out different scenarios to demonstrate* Attrition In a Linkedin report, they found that the average sales turnover rate is 35%, compared to an average turnover rate for all industries of 13%. In other words, sales turnover rate is nearly triple the average employee turnover rate. When a sales rep leaves a company, their departure brings about a ripple effect throughout the sales organization that few leaders adjust for. The short-term fix is to cover the open territory until a new rep is hired. This may seem like a solution, but the bigger problem is the long-term effect: The same number of monthly or quarterly goals now has to be shared among fewer reps, which causes pressure and, if sell cycles are long and the pipeline is unbalanced, the entire sales organization is in a pressure cooker. Time to Fill Roles Time to Ramp Up According to HubSpot’s 2021 Sales Enablement Report, the typical AE spends 2.7 years on the job and takes 4.7 months to ramp
9. We’re going through a cultural transformation here at Hootsuite. As a company about to turn thirteen, we’re in the midst of building on our founding values and establishing our new principles. I am always encouraging and enforcing a “no spectators” attitude—not sitting back and judging what we can do better and pointing fingers. Rather, we are stepping up and saying we want to be part of this future and sharing the ideas we have. Each organization is unique, but the companies that leverage recognition and let people know we care through one-on-one connections and engage employees are the strongest. An employee that’s not engaged is an employee that is not maximizing their capacity and ability. The best are using tech and tools to strengthen those interactions with their reps, leaders and managers. Recognizing our employees and showing them that we care has been our mantra.
10. Research shows that feeling like you matter at work isn’t a generational preference or “nice to have”. It’s a fundamental human need and is critical for motivation, fulfilment well-being. Enabling meaningful work is also a skillset that leaders can learn. With changing modes of work, job insecurity, and heightened awareness of social injustice, enabling the experience of meaningfulness is a vital skill for next-generation leaders. Simon Sinek We’re going through a cultural transformation here at Hootsuite. As a company about to turn thirteen, we’re in the midst of building on our founding values and establishing our new principles. I am always encouraging and enforcing a “no spectators” attitude—not sitting back and judging what we can do better and pointing fingers. Rather, we are stepping up and saying we want to be part of this future and sharing the ideas we have. Each organization is unique, but the companies that leverage recognition and let people know we care through one-on-one connections and engage employees are the strongest. An employee that’s not engaged is an employee that is not maximizing their capacity and ability. The best are using tech and tools to strengthen those interactions with their reps, leaders and managers. Recognizing our employees and showing them that we care has been our mantra.
11. Having a formula that drives success It starts with custom quotas or equitable territories Measuring the right metrics Setting up comp plans with this in mind ICR is the same for all people at the same quota level Changing the expectations of managers We have also adopted the acronym “GIAT” which stands for “Give it A Try” to support our guiding principle “Go Fast and Be Agile”. It’s important for our managers and leaders to encourage reps to give things a try and encourage learning if they don’t work the first time. I try to lead by example and share these experiences myself and model the new behaviours that we want to see.