Sales Competencies and Sales Matrix

 Sales Competencies and Sales Matrix

Low Sales Competencies and Low Sales- Strugglers

Ø  The Concept: This quadrant defines consistent underperformance. This group lacks foundational sales competencies and is also failing to achieve sales success.

Ø  Visualising it: Imagine a salesperson who avoids cold calling, gets stuck on basic objections, and consistently misses their quota.

Ø  The Strategic Dilemma: Management must determine the cause. Is this a skill gap that can be fixed with intensive training and coaching? Or is this an individual who is fundamentally in the wrong role? The investment required to upskill this group can be significant.

Low sales, Competencies and high sales- Demand-oriented product/ service-Lucky Chasers

Ø  The Concept: This group achieves high sales results not because of their sales skills, but despite them. Their success is driven entirely by strong market demand for the product or service they sell.

Ø  Visualising it: Imagine a sales rep who can hardly explain the product details but is constantly taking orders because the product is "selling itself."

Ø  The Strategic Risk: This position is incredibly vulnerable. If market trends change, a strong competitor enters the market, or the product’s lifecycle ends, this rep’s performance will likely collapse because they lack the foundational sales skills needed to adapt. The top priority for this group is upskilling while the market remains favourable.

 

High competencies and low sales-Lack of strategies

Ø  The Concept: This is arguably the most interesting and fixable group. These individuals possess high levels of skill and competence, but they are still not yielding results. The issue is rarely sales ability; rather, the "how" (their execution or their targeting) is missing.

Ø  Visualising it: Picture a rep who is great at product knowledge but is either focused on the wrong customer segment, has poor time management, or lacks a coherent strategy for closing deals.

Ø  The Strategic Solution: The fix for this group is strategic coaching, not more sales training. Management must work with them to develop better execution plans, improve their lead qualification, and streamline their sales process. They have the capability; they just need better direction.

High competencies and high sales-Rockers

Ø  The Concept: These are your elite performers. They possess top-tier skills, have mastered the sales process, understand the product intimately, and consistently exceed their sales targets. They are the ideal model for the entire sales team.

Ø  Visualising it: Picture a confident salesperson who navigates complex objections smoothly and is always at the top of the leaderboard.

Ø  The Strategic Opportunity: This group is essential for driving revenue and defining what "best practice" looks like. They should be leveraged for mentoring, developing leadership skills, and testing new, complex sales strategies.

 

M.L. Narendra Kumar