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Talent Evaluation 101: Measure the Performance of Your Sales Talent
Freelancing has become more meaningful since the remote-work/work-from-anywhere culture has become commonplace around the world.
In fact, it isn't surprising that 54% of Google's workforce comprises contractors/freelancers. Especially in sales, where you need the team to be on the job as required by your customers, there is a need to set certain criteria to ensure they are performing well.
There are a few strategies you can deploy to ensure that your hired freelance workforce performs at its optimum; there are also ways you can help them perform better than they would normally.
Let's take a look into ways you can effectively evaluate the performance of your freelance sales talent.
1. How Efficient is the Sales Process?
It is understandable that the world considers sales to be what the end results show; however, it is largely the success of a sales process that determines the end result.
Examine how seamlessly a freelance sales rep transitions the customers through the sales funnel and how well they know each stage of the funnel.
Gauge their deftness at strategy improvisation and sales tactics throughout the customer lifecycle.
These are the parameters that ultimately drive the bottom line; without perfecting these aspects of sales, the end results may remain disappointing.
2. Are They Prospecting Enough and Correctly?
Prospecting is the most important aspect of driving sales. With that said, most sales representatives are averse to investing time and effort into bringing in new leads – especially when they can work on the ones already in the sales funnel.
This strategy doesn't reap optimum results. If your freelance sales reps are avoiding prospecting, it is time to re-hire professionals who take out some time for lead generation as well.
Rewarding those who handle prospecting as well works as a good example for others to follow suit.
3. Assess Their Best Practices
Most organizations believe that the top tier of their sales representatives drives most of the organization's sales. This isn't the optimum way to function because the remaining freelance sales workforce remains underutilized.
Assess the best practices your high performers are undertaking. Try to devise a way to get other sales representatives to inculcate the same practices in their regime.
When all the sales workforce has been brought on the same level, you can then evaluate each professional individually.
4. Is There a Spirit of Teamwork?
It is understandable that freelancers work by themselves; however, the entire sales unit needs to work as a single entity for growth to truly happen. This is an important aspect to evaluate every single team member on.
How willing and efficient are your sales professionals when it comes to working in teams?
If your organization deals with frequent Agile sprints, teamwork is absolutely necessary to make the strategies work.
5. What is Their Post-Sale Behaviour/Protocol?
Every freelance sales rep has a post-sale protocol. To ensure that your customers are satisfied with the service, evaluate what each professional does after closing a sale.
Do they vanish from the lives of their customers? Do they follow up?
A big part of customer loyalty stems from what happens in the sales department after a product has been sold. Measure the number of satisfied customers rating a sales professional with good reviews.
End-note
Assisting your sales team in performing their jobs optimally is the first step you can take to ensure that the sales department engine remains well-oiled.
In addition to promoting the skill development of your freelance sales workforce, evaluation also plays a big role in promoting a good ROI from your hired hands.