It’s easy to daydream about all the lost sales that a better-performing sales department could recover. But dollars aren’t the only cost. If you have a sales function not performing at its best, you have “the itch that can’t be scratched.”
Most days, you aren’t “itchy,” but every now and then, you get this feeling, “gosh, there has to be something we can do to get the sales we deserve. I’ve worked so hard to build this business, and it stinks that we can’t figure out how to crack the sales code.” Like that itchy spot in the middle of your back, you can’t seem to reach it. Most likely, you ignore it and move on with your day, but the itch takes a toll over time.
When a business function isn’t working, you can distract yourself by working on other areas, but it’s still in the back of your mind, nagging at you incessantly. This creates stress. You always have that sinking feeling that you could be doing much better, but you can’t figure out why.
It creates sporadic grief. Every now and then, the itch overwhelms you, and you apply a burst of effort to scratching the itch. It helps a bit, and you feel better, but eventually, things return to the norm, and you are still itchy.
There’s also the cost of divided attention. With a broken sales function, the CEO is forced to redirect their valuable time to playing break-fixer for sales. Other vital business functions are neglected if the CEO spends too much time fixing sales issues.
Getting back your sanity removes some of these hidden costs.
If you truly believe your sales function can improve, we are happy to share how similar companies have navigated the process.
