In 2018 Huthwaite International surveyed 300 sales leaders in the European Medical Devices sector. The aim was to identify the sales challenges they are facing and crucially the strategies they are putting in place to overcome them.
One key finding was that teams with a systematic approach to selling are more profitable than those without.
The study explored the link between those sales teams employing a systematic approach to selling against those without or who only partly employed this approach.
Teams were analysed on the basis of net increases or decreases in sales over their last financial year
While more than half of sales people operated under ‘best practice’ with every team using a systematic approach to selling, some 43% only did this across certain teams.
When it comes to country-by-country comparisons:
- Belgium emerged as the most structured (84% of respondents did this across every team)
- Germany (80%)
- Switzerland (62%)
- Conversely, France came bottom, with just 22% of respondents employing a systematic approach to selling.
The study also examined the link between those companies with a systematic approach to selling and changes in revenue.
Based on Mean Averages, those with a systematic approach to selling are likely to have experienced 25.5% more growth than those without, in the last financial year.
In the future, the most effective sales leaders will be defined by how they approach selling. Those employing an effective, systematic approach to sales will see greater business growth and increased client satisfaction than those without. There are reams of data – not only that covered in this paper – to support this assertion.
Following a systematic approach to selling ensures total consistency across the board, with all teams operating under the same methodology. It also ensures all selling efforts can be measured consistently, using the same metrics. And, adopting a sustainable approach founded on timeless principles – such as SPIN® Selling – rather than transient thinking, will ensure success regardless of any new industry trends or developments.
