The challenge: Many businesses, especially in luxury home services, expect one superstar salesperson to handle it all—from prospecting to closing. But that "unicorn" model often results in frustration and stagnant growth. Patrick Martinez, world-class sales coach and facilitator of VITAL’s Elite Sales Academy, shares a more sustainable approach: process-driven, role-specific sales strategies.
Why the “One-Person Sales Team” Model Fails
When small businesses hire a salesperson, the expectation is often sky-high: they’ll bring in leads, close deals, and magically increase revenue. However, this one-size-fits-all approach spreads talent too thin and leads to underperformance.
Instead of relying on unicorns, we suggest breaking the sales process into specialized roles to ensure efficiency and scalability. Many times a single person will embody more than one role, and having this clarity creates a space for better hiring and training decisions.
Five Key Roles in an Effective Sales Team
By assigning specific responsibilities, businesses can maximize strengths and reduce inefficiencies. We define these roles as:
1. Awareness (Marketing/Outreach): Build brand visibility and make potential clients aware of your business.
2. Hunters (Prospect Finders): Identify and qualify strong leads, ensuring your team spends time on the right opportunities.
3. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs): Bring the technical expertise that reassures clients and builds trust.
4. Closers: Focused on turning opportunities into signed contracts, without distractions.
5. Farmers (Relationship Builders): Nurture existing clients, seeking referrals and upselling opportunities.
Most small businesses assign all five responsibilities to one person, creating bottlenecks. Splitting these tasks among team members—or even just adding one additional role—can produce immediate results.
The Power of Process-Driven Sales
Great sales outcomes come from clear processes, not just personalities. Our advice:
- Map out your current sales process. What steps are involved, and who owns them?
- Identify bottlenecks. Are you losing leads because follow-up is inconsistent?
- Reassign tasks. Let your SMEs focus on expertise, while hunters and closers do the heavy lifting on leads.
Quick Wins You Can Apply Today
1. Document Your Sales Process: Write down every step, from lead generation to project delivery. Understanding your workflow is the first step to optimizing it.
2. Identify Gaps and Opportunities: Do you have a follow-up system in place? Are your salespeople juggling too many roles?
3. Build a Team Approach: Pair hunters with SMEs or closers to create a dynamic, collaborative sales strategy.
Start Transforming Your Sales Team Today
Want to dive deeper into strategies like this? Each week, members of the VITAL Elite Sales Academy learn new skills and receive valuable coaching directly from Patrick Martinez. His process-driven insights have helped countless salespeople deliver better results with less stress. Learn more about the Elite Sales Academy and apply today!
Contact Vital by clicking the icons to the right (or below if you're on a mobile device).
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