Feedback is essential for improving your sales performance and skills, but it's not enough to just listen to it. You need to turn feedback into action, which means applying what you learn to your sales process, goals, and habits. In this article, you'll discover how to do that in six steps.
The first step is to identify the source of the feedback. Is it coming from your manager, your peers, your customers, or yourself? Each source has a different perspective, motive, and credibility, so you need to evaluate the feedback accordingly. For example, your manager may have more experience and insight than your peers, but your customers may have more direct and honest feedback than your manager.
It is important to categorise the feedbacks as well. For example if the feedback is about quality or product experience it is always best to take your customer's feedback on priority. On the other hand if it is regarding operations,improvements in the process etc your managers feedback can be important as he have better experiences and understanding about the business process.
Feedback is mirroring what has been in place to what is expected of the organisation- hence it helps in reflecting on what is not rightly in place. Helps to relay your vision and correct, re- focus on strategy and to go back on drawing table
The second step is to clarify the message of the feedback. What is the main point or issue that the feedback is addressing? Is it clear, specific, and actionable, or vague, general, and subjective? You need to ask questions, paraphrase, and summarize the feedback to make sure you understand it correctly. For example, if your manager says you need to improve your closing skills, you need to ask what exactly that means and how you can measure it.
The third step is to analyze the relevance of the feedback. How does the feedback relate to your sales goals, process, and performance? Is it aligned with your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? You need to compare the feedback with your own data, observations, and self-assessment to determine how useful and valid it is. For example, if your customer says you are too pushy, you need to check if that matches your conversion rate, follow-up strategy, and personality.
It is important to categorise the feedbacks as well. For example if the feedback is about quality or product experience it is always best to take your customer's feedback on priority. On the other hand if it is regarding operations,improvements in the process etc your managers feedback can be important as he have better experiences and understanding about the business process.
The fourth step is to decide the action that you will take based on the feedback. What are the specific steps, changes, or improvements that you will implement to address the feedback? How will you prioritize, plan, and execute them? You need to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and actions that will help you improve your sales outcomes. For example, if your peer says you need to work on your rapport-building skills, you need to set a goal of asking more open-ended questions and listening more actively to your prospects.
The fifth step is to seek support for your action plan. Who can help you achieve your goals, monitor your progress, and provide you with feedback along the way? You need to identify and leverage the resources, tools, and people that can support your sales development and growth. For example, you can use a CRM system to track your sales activities, join a sales training program to learn new skills, or ask your mentor to coach you on specific challenges.
The sixth and final step is to review the results of your action plan. How did your actions affect your sales performance and skills? Did you achieve your goals, overcome your weaknesses, or seize your opportunities? You need to measure and evaluate the results of your actions using quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as sales metrics, customer feedback, or self-reflection. For example, you can use a sales dashboard to see how your closing rate improved, ask your customers for testimonials or referrals, or write a journal entry about your sales achievements and learnings.