At the end of 2019, my list of things not to do in 2020 triggered comments mostly centered on compensation of sales representatives. If you haven’t seen the comments, they are worth a look as they do a good job showing how diversely compensation plans are approached. That discussion is the natural lead-in for a discussion of reviewing sales processes because compensation colors the sales process. Who is compensated, and at what rate, is often part of a contractual relationship between the company and the sales representative, but not always. Sometimes the relationships are based on “how things have always been done” or verbal agreements. And not every deal brought in is a winner. That is where ongoing reviews of the sales process come in.

Many printing companies have sales team members who are family members and family friends. Some are long-time employees, while others are new to the business. In many businesses, they are charged with hunting for the customers and then farming the relationship, often leading to work that lasts years and relationships that become like family. It is the nature of the role that makes the sales processes hard to review. No one wants to tell mom, dad, uncle Carlos, or aunt Midge that they aren’t performing well. But, if there isn’t a clear view of what work is on its way in, what estimated and quoted work is at risk, and an ongoing evaluation that what is being sold is in alignment with current capabilities, it is not hard for the business to get off track.

It is hard to find the right words with an existing team. How do you say “We want to review all of the sales that are in process this week” without cries of interference. Worse yet, you risk complaints that if you make them sit through reviews, you’ll cost them so much time that the job of bringing in more work will suffer. A well-regimented sales-in-process review, however, ensures that the business needs of the sales process are met. Let’s try a “Crawl, Walk, Run” approach to keep everyone from feeling that there is a finger pointed at them.