Standardization enables every salesperson to speak the same sales language. Relevance makes the sales methodology practical of individual sellers. Any effective sales methodology has both, but how do you balance the two?
Focusing too much on standardization can lead to scenarios, models and capabilities that don’t fully reflect the actual challenges sellers face daily. However, too much emphasis on relevancy can strain sales managers as they attempt to address the individual details of each seller’s pursuit.
A balanced approach is key. A standard methodology allows sales leaders to coach a team and make adjustments at scale. At the same time, a relevant methodology encourages seller buy-in because it has relevant components that speak to their unique needs.
Here we look at which elements of a sales methodology should be standardized, and which should be adapted to individual sellers in order to balance selling effectiveness and efficiency.
Elements to Standardize
The Underlying Theory
All sales methodologies are anchored to a theory, a core strategy supporting the approach. For example, agile selling methodologies are based on the idea that adaptability is the key to winning the sale because it’s responsive to the constant and accelerating change seen in sales today.
All sellers must be aligned to the same foundational strategy for a sales methodology to work. While there are many ways to turn that theory into practice, the theory is universal and unchanging.
Crucially, a single overarching theory gives each seller a sense “true north.” Selling is complicated and full of uncertainty. When the path to winning seems unclear, it’s the theory behind the sales methodology that reorients sellers.
Milestones
Milestones ensure all sellers are focused on the right steps. While there are different skills and actions that can be employed to reach them, each one must be part of the process for all sellers.
A milestone is any objective that must be met to advance the sale. These objectives are so important that ignoring one of them would lose the sale. Milestones should address the different parts of the buyer’s journey.
For example, a key milestone in most sales methodologies is the task of understanding the core challenge or goal a prospect faces. Without this insight, the seller cannot frame the value of the solution later.
Success Metrics
To ensure that each member of the sales team is aligned on performance goals, sales leaders must standardize the measurement of success. For example, sales leadership might choose to prioritize common metrics like win rate, contract value, profitability, sales cycle, quota attainment and time to productivity.
Sales leaders should also standardize the way they measure success. For example, sellers need to have a clear way to assess if they have in fact pinpointed the customer’s core challenge or goal. They also need an objective way to measure whether or not they have built a consensus among the key decision-makers.
Aligning the team to the same success criteria is important for another reason: the common payoff. The team will perform better as a whole when they know they’re all being measured against the same factors.
What Elements Should Be Made Relevant?
The Scenarios Used in Training
Customized scenarios used in role-play exercises demonstrate the practicality of the selling skills in the methodology. As a result, the seller commits to training because they see how the relevancy of the skills.
Relevant scenarios also help contextualize the selling skills, helping sellers see how the concepts can be applied in situations that are complex, critical, and unclear. When customizing selling scenarios, sales managers and trainers should collaborate to determine the kinds of objections that should be raised to simulate real sales conversations.
Training scenarios should also be made relevant to different roles within the sales organization. The scenarios that are appropriate to field sellers are likely different than those that are right for an inside sales team or customer service professionals.
The Modules Included in the Learning Experience
Sales leaders need a range of modules to deliver training. Examples of modules include things like prospecting skills needed to target the right customers and create compelling messaging or negotiating when sellers face price resistance. Modular learning is the best way to deliver individualized training that addresses the needs of the moment.
This approach also minimizes time out-of-market as sellers learn only what they need, and then apply it immediately to in-play pursuits.
The Reinforcement Content
Reinforcement should reflect the customized scenarios and modules in the training. Periodic post-training review of key concepts also ensures adoption. This approach — called spaced repetition — strengthens retention and application.
The way in which the reinforcement content is delivered also needs to be customized. Sales leaders should consider the duration and the medium of the content. For many sellers brief, mobile-optimized content accessed in the flow of work is most effective.
Conclusion
Deploying an effective sales methodology requires attention to both standardization and relevancy. Standardization keeps the team united under the same general approach and goals, while relevancy keeps the skills practical. By aligning around a core strategy, milestones and success metrics, sales leaders can ensure that everyone is on the same page and moving toward shared goals.
At the same time, creating relevance through customized scenarios, modular learning and tailored reinforcement content makes the methodology practical and immediately applicable. When sellers see their unique challenges reflected in the training, they’re more likely to embrace the approach and use it in real-world scenarios. With the right mix of both elements, sales teams can operate more efficiently and effectively, bringing meaningful value to every customer interaction and driving better outcomes for the business.
