In May last year, we emphasized that auditing sales performance was not just a numbers game. This runs contrary to the claims of so-called “sales scientists” who rely on irrefutable industry KPIs or “growth hackers” proven recipes (See our article: Auditing Sales Performance: Beyond Numbers.)

Auditing sales performance is a holistic process that examines culture, talent, strategy, systems, and processes. That is why we apply various approaches from our comprehensive Sales and Marketing Index to a more bottom-up approach that leverages collective horsepower to assess both talents and externalities.

In July 2022—we wrote about the parallels between Lean Management best practices and effective sales management. These practices, grounded in common sense and Lean principles, emphasize concepts like the Customer focus, continuous learning, and the manager-as-coach mindset.

In this article, we introduce another Lean best practice to guide the initial steps of your sales performance audit: the 4M’s. We kept Lean common sense and Gemba oriented approach. We just converted it into Bold & Sharp TMPP©.

4M’s first “M” stand for « Man »:

This is your talents. Rather applying complex decision frameworks, Lean suggests observing what happen in the field. Keep your talent assessment straightforward through simple questions:

• Is my sales force well trained to the tasks and activities which account for 80% of their day-to-day job?
• Is my sales force properly managed and developed?
• Are there specific issues being reported that require your attention?

Focus: sales training; coaching; motivation.

Key Concepts to further explore: skills assessment; effective communication and meeting; continuous learning; delegation and empowerment.

4M’s second “M” stands for « Machine »:

Let’s replace “Machine” with “Systems”. This term encompasses both tools and organizational structure. Begin your assessment with these straightforward questions:

• Does my organization support my sales strategy?
• What tough choices should I make now to improve alignment?
• Do my tools positively impact overall productivity and efficiency?
• Do my organization and tools scale against your vision and missions?

Focus: productivity; information management; organizational health.

Key Concepts to further explore: cross functional collaboration; platform vs best of breed tools; planning for success;

4M’s third “M” stands for Materials:

This is your product or product portfolio. While Lean management refers to the raw materials, components, and supplies needed for production or service delivery, we focus again on simple questions to assess the product impact on sales performance:

• Do my products and services properly work?
• Do I capture and deliver expected value to customers?
• Do my customers use my rpoduct the right way and is the total cost of ownership up to their expectations?
• Is my marketing mix relevant and am I differentiated?

Focus : total quality management; total customer experience,; value realization.

Key Concepts to further explore: customer feedback loop; portfolio management; competitive advantage.

4M’s fourth “M” stands for « Method »:

This is your existing processes, namely your sales methodology. Not your MEDDICC qualification framework: your entire sales methodology from lead generation to closing and customer success. There again, keep it simple:

• Are processes and methodologies aligned with my key missions and metrics?
• Do employees have the maturity to understand and implement them?
• Do employees master them to the extent that they can adapt them to specific challenges or circumstances?

Focus: sales method; sales plays; sales process; stages conversion metrics.

Key Concepts to further explore: continuous improvement; sales process personalization; customer personalization;

Conclusion:

The 4M’s are interconnected, and inefficiencies in one area can significantly impact the others. The same applies to Bold & Sharp TMPP©. For instance, inadequate training for talents (Man) can lead to errors in implementing methodologies (Method), while disconnected systems (Machine) can hinder the sales of the most advanced product (Materials).

By examining the 4 components of TMPP, you can identify the right questions to ask and uncover solutions to your core performance challenges and create a smooth, productive sales machine. If you don’t, call us: we will guide you through the Bold & Sharp Sales & Marketing Index to pinpoint your most critical areas of improvement.

Looking for creative ways to boost your operational and sales performance ?
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