Tough economic times tend to reveal weaknesses in our businesses. Successful companies take this opportunity to identify and address barriers that affect their business growth.

In my consulting with clients I have identified seven barriers that most impact your sales growth:

1. Unclear business value

Communicating your business value to your customers is top priority. Customers want to know, "What value will I gain by using your company vs. your competition?" If you can't communicate value, then the only thing to compete on is price.

2. No plan

Many businesses spend more time planning sales events than they do planning their business. No sports team would go into a game without a detailed game plan but businesses routinely send their sales teams out without a plan.

3. No emphasis on training and coaching

Things change in the economy, technology, etc. and people need to learn new skills. Yet many companies have cut out training and coaching. Ongoing coaching is a must for a successful team. Think of spring training for baseball players. The players work on the fundamentals, then have constant coaching throughout the season.

4. Ineffective lead generation

Lead generation was about cold calling, an unpleasant situation for both sales people and prospects. It is much easier to prospect when you have a referral from a satisfied customer or when someone calls you with an interest in what you do. The key is to develop a lead generation plan that accomplishes these two objectives.

5. Outdated sales and leadership skills

Times have changed and that will impact how business gets done in the future. My question is, "Have you and your company changed the way you lead and sell?" Albert Einstein defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Don't expect outdated sales and leadership skills to produce the same results they once did.

6. Focusing on activity vs. results

Activity metrics have been a part of sales for many years, yet they don't tell the whole story. What really matters is results! I know people who work hard everyday, but the results are not there. It is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We are really busy, but the ship is still going down.

7. Poor recruiting and hiring practices

Many of my clients hire experienced sales people from their same industry in hopes of gaining success faster, yet qualifications for good sales people are different today than they have been in the past. Qualifications for today's sales people include: problem solving, knowledge of how business gets done, curiosity, listening skills, intuition, and consulting skills. Your interviewing and selection process must identify mastery of these skills.

Addressing these seven barriers by implementing sound business and sales practices allows you to grow your sales today and into the future.

For more information visit: www.commonsensesales.com

Or email Jim Searls at: jimsearls@commonsensesales.com