Tracking Sales Performance
The primary function of sales records is to ensure that your customers are being served as well as possible. Every relevant piece of data is available to you on who they are; what, when, and how they buy; and how transactions are most efficiently developed and completed.
A secondary function of sales records — also very important — is tracking sales performance. Full customer, contact, and sales records can help your employer in many ways:
Show which types of customers most need your efforts
Confirm which customers are most profitable to your company
Identify the bestselling products or services within the company and within your customer group
Indicate what time periods are most productive in selling
Analyze the similarities among unprofitable customers
Find and fix sales process problems
Tracking sales performance is primarily the job of your sales manager. With data about the productivity of numerous salespeople and territories, she or he can analyze conditions that lead to more productive sales efforts. The analysis will be used to modify sales policies and techniques for specific or all salespeople.
In addition, individual salespeople can make their own analysis of sales performance and adjust how they sell and to whom. They can learn what sales techniques are more productive for them as well as what doesn't work as well. They can match their own sales goals up to sales results and analyze whether expected results are met. Factors you will want to track include sales by:
Customer
Industry
Time period (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually)
Product
Territory or location
Other factors should be tracked depending on what you are selling and to whom.
