How can we support a Sales team that isn't coming even close to reaching their numbers?

When a sales team isn't hitting their numbers, it puts a lot of pressure on the entire org and often leads to finger-pointing. To support the sales team, meet with each rep individually to figure out where the roadblocks are. If you've built up enough of a relationship with the sales team, these 1:1 interactions will feel more like a conversation and will provide honest feedback.

Some common reasons why I've seen sales not hit their numbers include:

• False ICP - c-suit wants to move upmarket, but there isn't PMF, and the data on your ICP is dirty.

• Unrealistic Goals- We've all been there. Goals and targets were set without looking at historical data.

• Organizational Changes - Internal org changes can shake up the entire company. Sales leaders leaving, new reps joining, and changes in processes can all impact the numbers

• Market Changes - We saw this a lot with AI. Market changes can happen in a flash, and what was once an industry-leading product is now just a nice to have--or worse.

• Funnel Weakness - This could be marketing, it could be a process issue during handoff.

• Messaging Misalignment - This is kind of like the False ICP, but if you're chasing the wrong persona, there's a good chance that your messaging is off too. Or your sales team may not agree with the messaging.

• Competition- Either a better product or the competitor undercuts pricing so much that it's not profitable to proceed).

Try to get to the bottom of where the gaps are and act fast. In some cases, you'll need to roll up your sleeves and put together a quick enablement plan to re-educate on the messaging. Or, reevaluate the messaging and personas altogether. Listen to calls if you can to see how prospects are responding to the messaging. What are the objections, and how can you help?