Turnaround Strategy: Craft an Action Plan for Poor Sales Performance

One of the main challenges sales leaders today face is improving the performance of their sales team. If you are a sales leader struggling with where to even begin when it comes to making meaningful changes that will boost performance, here is when we say: You are not alone.

No matter where your sales team is hitting roadblocks, sales performance improvement can feel like a monumental task. Here is a step-by-step action plan:

1. Identify Root Causes of Poor Sales Performance

Before building an action plan, it’s crucial to diagnose the root causes. Poor sales numbers and behaviors can stem from a variety of factors such as lack of product knowledge, poor lead qualification, or even low motivation. If you’re wondering how to deal with poor sales performance, we recommend setting aside time to meet with your team to gather insights and data to assess where the challenges lie.

Consider some of the questions below when reflecting on issues:

• Are your sales reps following the sales process effectively?
• Are there gaps in training or product knowledge?
• Is the sales pipeline lacking qualified leads?
• Are external factors, like economic conditions, affecting buyer behavior?

Once you have pinpointed the contributing factors, you can design a more targeted action plan to improve poor sales performance.

2. Set Clear, Measurable Goals

To effectively guide your team out of underperformance, establish specific goals that will drive their efforts. Vague goals like “sell more” will not do the trick!  Your action plan to improve poor sales performance needs to focus on measurable outcomes that you can revisit on a weekly basis.  Define what success looks like and set benchmarks for tracking progress.  

 Consider some of the examples below in your goal setting:

• Increase the number of qualified leads by 20% over the next quarter
• Improve conversion rates by 10% within the next three months
• Reduce the sales cycle from 45 days to 30 days by improving follow-up efficiency

Always remember, having clear, measurable targets gives your sales reps something concrete to work toward and allows you to monitor improvement.

3. Provide Targeted Training & Ongoing Support

Once you have set your goals, it is time to build the skills of the sales team so they can meet them. Tailored training and resources are a critical part of any action plan to improve poor sales performance. Sales reps may need a refresher on the sales processes, products, or techniques to engage prospects more effectively.

Some ways that you can coach and provide support for your team include:

• Organizing workshops or role-playing sessions to refine key selling skills
• Offering one-on-one sales performance coaching for struggling team members
• Using real-time data to deliver feedback on specific skills gaps

Providing continuous coaching and reinforcing a learning culture within the team will empower sales reps to overcome their current hurdles.

4. Monitor Progress & Continuously Adjust

An action plan to improve poor sales performance is not static. Growth is never linear or “one and done”.  As you implement your plan, you will need to monitor progress closely, make adjustments as needed.  Review performance metrics on a frequent basis to see if your team is meeting the goals that you have set.  If not, identify why.  We recommend scheduling weekly or bi-weekly check-ins to discuss individual progress and team performance. These meetings will help maintain momentum and accountability.

If certain tactics aren’t working, don’t hesitate to pivot—whether that means adjusting your training efforts, altering the goals, or even redistributing leads.

Sales slumps are challenging, but with a well-thought-out action plan to improve poor sales performance, sales leaders can turn underperformance into opportunity. 

If your sales team is facing challenges and you need more support, contact Sandler and we’ll determine if we’re fit to work together.