Salesperson evaluation & development worksheet

Description
How to Develop Top Performing Salespeople Part I
Managing salespeople effectively can be challenging, given their independent and driven nature. In his video, I outline a three-step process designed to manage sales teams for optimal performance. This is the first instalment of this guide, focusing on the crucial initial step: evaluating salespeople.

Step 1: Evaluating Salespeople
Pre-Step: Ensure the Right Fit for the Job
Before diving into training and coaching, it’s vital to ensure that the right people are in the right roles. I must emphasize the importance of this preliminary step, suggesting that the foundation of a high-performing sales team begins with selecting suitable candidates. For detailed guidance on selecting the right candidates, watch this video, How to Hire Top Performing Salespeople

The Evaluation Process
Regular evaluations are essential for the development of salespeople. I created a worksheet designed to assess key competencies such as prospecting, relationship building, and closing sales. Each competency is evaluated based on its relative importance for the organization and the salesperson’s current level of achievement.

Using the Worksheet
Before implementing the evaluation process, it’s crucial to explain the purpose and process of the worksheet to the sales team, underscoring its role in their professional development. Have a meeting with the salespeople and introduce and explain the process. The approach is to have each salesperson evaluate themselves prior to meeting their boss to discuss and agree on the scores. Each salesperson should assess their competencies independently to ensure an honest self-evaluation, free from peer influence.

Individual Meetings
One-on-one meetings between managers and salespeople are fundamental to the evaluation process. These sessions provide an opportunity to discuss and align on competency scores, fostering open communication to address any discrepancies in perception between managers and salespeople.

Developing a Plan
Once evaluations are complete, the focus shifts to developing a targeted improvement plan. I advise concentrating on one key competency that, if improved, would significantly enhance performance. Setting clear, measurable goals and outlining the necessary training and coaching steps are essential components of this plan.

Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of effective sales management. Regular follow-up meetings to review progress and adjust plans as needed ensure ongoing development. I encourage maintaining attention to various competencies over time to foster comprehensive growth.

Tools and Additional Resources
I highlight the use of a psychometric assessment like the PXT Select for creating performance models based on top performers to be used as a benchmark for future hiring and for targeted training and coaching of current staff. I also stress the importance of continuous recruitment to maintain a strong and dynamic sales team. This way you can replace you poor performing salespeople with potential top performers.
Conclusion

In summary, the first step in developing top-performing salespeople involves a thorough and ongoing evaluation process. Utilizing the provided worksheet, maintaining open communication, and focusing on continuous improvement are key elements of this strategy. I invite you to stay tuned for upcoming videos and articles that will delve deeper into the evaluation process. Subscribe to this blog and my YouTube channel for more insights and updates on managing and developing an outstanding sales team.