In an increasingly dynamic and competitive market, medium and large companies face the constant challenge of optimizing their sales initiatives to ensure sustainable growth and outperform the competition. The complexity of operations and the expanded reach of these companies require sophisticated and well-structured approaches to leverage sales effectively, that is, productively, efficiently, and with quality. Identifying and implementing tried and tested practices is essential to enhance commercial performance and maximize return on investments.
From detailed market analysis to sales team empowerment and the integration of advanced technologies, each aspect or element plays a crucial role in building a robust sales pipeline and creating a differentiated value proposition. Adopting a strategic set of actions can transform how a company interacts with its customers and conducts its sales operations.
Therefore, Max Bavaresco, founder and CEO of Sonne, a consulting company specialized in developing and implementing strategic planning, highlights the 5 key steps to leverage sales for medium and large companies, focusing on growth and market relevance. Check it out:
1 – Develop a clear and unique value proposition: the value proposition is both a part of business strategy and the core of any effective sales tactic. Successful companies can articulate clearly and objectively what makes them unique and how their products or services solve specific customer problems. In essence, why should someone buy your product or service instead of what your direct competitor offers?
2 – Define a market positioning and maintain consistency: equally strategic, this aspect involves a combination of variables, with one constant and others that may vary according to context, audience, channel, occasion, presentation, function, among other attributes and/or differentiators. It concerns pricing, which must be consistent, meaning it cannot be the cheapest, the most expensive, or anything else at the same time or each day. Just as it is necessary to balance pricing with the differentials of your products and services and everything else that exists in the market;
3 – Integrate Marketing, Sales, Identity, and Management: you know that phrase in English ‘walk the talk’? Well, one of the first taglines I created in my consultancy, and which applies to any company was: ‘making your business walk the brand you talk.’ In good Portuguese: ‘making your brand deliver what it promises.’ Communication, team, management, and brand need to be operating in harmony. If one of these disciplines fails, the others cannot compensate;
4 – Focus on what matters – customer and experience: be honest and admit your mistakes, solve the problem and exceed the expectations you generated, that is, make your package open, your product arrive, answer the phone, resolve the complaint, refund the money from the canceled sale, charge the announced price, etc. Even with all the evolution of recent decades in business terms, nothing beats the basics, well done;
5 – Understand that sales involve Methodology, Measurement, and Discipline: the execution of the parts that make up the strategy needs to be organized, with clear processes to ensure that all involved understand their responsibilities, objectives, goals, timelines, and movements, incentive mechanisms, and cause and effect consequences. If a choice solves the very short term, it will likely put the medium and long term at risk. What is success of initiatives, collect data and information, make adjustments, always. Understanding that every day, week, month, and year, everything starts anew. And that financial projections almost never consider the mean regression.
Max Bavaresco says that leveraging sales in medium and large companies requires a strategic and multifaceted approach that goes beyond conventional practices. “By adopting in-depth market analysis, refining the value proposition, investing in team training, using advanced technology, and aligning marketing and sales, companies can create a solid foundation for sustainable growth. The ability to adapt to changes and constantly innovate is also essential to maintain competitiveness”, emphasizes the strategist.
