What do you do if your outside sales strategy is based solely on intuition?

Trusting your gut can be a powerful tool in outside sales, but relying solely on intuition may leave you navigating in the dark. It's essential to strike a balance, using instinct to guide you but also grounding your strategy in solid data and structured methods. After all, outside sales is not just about knocking on doors; it's about understanding the market, building relationships, and strategically positioning your product or service. So, what should you do if your current approach is more about gut feelings than strategic planning? Let's dive into some steps to help you enhance your outside sales strategy.

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1 Assess Risks

When your sales strategy is purely instinct-driven, it's crucial to first assess the potential risks. Intuition can lead to quick decisions, but without proper analysis, these choices may not align with market realities or customer needs. Take a step back to evaluate where your gut has guided you well and where it may have led you astray. Consider the consequences of missed opportunities or misjudged client interactions that arose from an intuition-based approach. Reflecting on these aspects can help you identify the gaps in your strategy that need a more data-driven approach.

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2 Gather Data

To refine your intuition-led sales strategy, start collecting concrete data. This involves market research, customer feedback, and competitive analysis. Look for patterns in your successful deals—what common factors can you identify? Similarly, analyze the less successful ones to understand what went wrong. This data will not only inform your sales tactics but also enhance your intuition by grounding it in factual evidence. Over time, you'll develop a more nuanced understanding of your market, enabling you to make informed decisions that still benefit from your instinctual insights.

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Bruce Hill

Sales Strategist | Sales Enablement Leader | Sales Operations | Revenue Operations | Speaker | 3x Author | Trainer | Increasing revenue through personal and professional development |
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Is what you are working on really working? The right data properly interpreted can answer this question. Update your CRM. Track your sales pipeline. Share your success stories. Brainstorm lost deals. "Intuition" is not a scalable sales strategy.

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3 Set Goals

Intuition can spark action, but goals turn those sparks into a structured blaze. Define clear, measurable objectives for your sales efforts. Whether it's increasing your customer base by a certain percentage or hitting a specific revenue target, having concrete goals gives you a benchmark to measure your progress against. This step ensures that your intuitive decisions are not just random shots in the dark but are aimed at achieving specific outcomes that contribute to your overall business growth.

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Bruce Hill

Sales Strategist | Sales Enablement Leader | Sales Operations | Revenue Operations | Speaker | 3x Author | Trainer | Increasing revenue through personal and professional development |
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Consistent behavior yields consistent results. Set goals that match your mission. There are two sets of goals to consider. Outcome goals - this is where you want to ho Activity goals - this is how you are going to get there Some label it vision/strategy. Other's outcome planning. Call it what you want. Just write it down and make sure the entire team understands and agrees!

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4 Plan Tactically

With risks assessed and data in hand, it's time to plan your approach with tactical precision. Develop a strategy that incorporates both your intuitive understanding of the sales landscape and the insights gleaned from your data. This might involve identifying key prospects, tailoring your pitch to different customer segments, or optimizing your route planning to maximize face-to-face interactions. A tactical plan helps you allocate your resources effectively and ensures that your intuitive hunches are executed in a way that maximizes their potential.

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Bruce Hill

Sales Strategist | Sales Enablement Leader | Sales Operations | Revenue Operations | Speaker | 3x Author | Trainer | Increasing revenue through personal and professional development |
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Consistent practices yield consistent results. If you are having success in the role then follow your intuition. While you do. Document everything. (see "Gather Data) This will help you duplicate your results and teach other team members. This help you make better hiring decisions while also increasing the team's overall productivity.

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5 Execute Wisely

Execution is where your enhanced strategy comes to life. As you implement your plan, remain flexible and allow room for on-the-spot intuitive decisions. However, ensure these decisions are checked against the data and goals you've set. Monitor your progress closely and be prepared to adjust your approach if certain tactics aren't yielding the expected results. Wise execution means knowing when to trust your gut and when to pivot based on the information at hand.

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6 Review Regularly

Finally, establish a routine for reviewing your sales activities and outcomes. This isn't just about tallying wins and losses; it's about understanding the 'why' behind each result. Did a particular intuitive decision lead to a successful sale? What can you learn from that? Regular reviews help you refine both your strategy and your intuition, making each more effective over time. Remember, in outside sales, continuous improvement is key to staying ahead of the competition.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What do you do if your outside sales strategy is based solely on intuition?

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3

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1 Assess Risks

2 Gather Data

3 Set Goals

4 Plan Tactically

5 Execute Wisely

6 Review Regularly

7 Here’s what else to consider

Outside Sales

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What do you do if your outside sales strategy is based solely on intuition?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Assess Risks

2 Gather Data

3 Set Goals

4 Plan Tactically

5 Execute Wisely

6 Review Regularly

7 Here’s what else to consider

Outside Sales

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