Why Sales Specialisation Matters More Than You Think

Today some sales leaders are still tempted to use a generalist sales model, in which they assign their reps territories and ask them to own the whole process from prospecting to close.

The problem with this model is that it dilutes your reps’ core skillset by asking them to find the right leads, set appointments, and perform initial qualification – all before they can do what they were really hired to do: close deals.

That’s why high-performing sales organisations have pivoted to a specialist sales model, which divides their teams into specific roles, such as sales development reps (finding and qualifying), sales account executives (closers) and account managers.

Sales teams that employ a specialist model achieve a 7-point improvement in close ratios over a generalist model, according to research conducted by Dr. James Oldroyd and XANT.

That’s not 7 percent; it’s 7 points. So, if the average generalist earns a 12 percent close ratio, a specialist model in the same space is reaping a 19 percent close ratio.

Those are the kinds of results you can expect when you free up your closers to concentrate on their core skillset. It’s difficult for them to perform at optimal levels if you ask them to self-source all of their deals.

Ultimately, what you want to do is prime the pump for them by adding a steady stream of opportunities to the top of their sales pipeline.

The fastest and most effective way to do that is by employing a specialist sales model.

Download the free ebook below to learn how to build a high-performing sales development team.