Am I right or wrong? I'm in trouble, honest opinion sought...

14 years ago

Hey Richard,

I guess there are several elements to consider here.

At first glance it would seem that the sales team just aren't doing their usual job at getting conversions.

However, just having inquiries go up is not the same as increasing the number of buyers.

Is it possible that although you've increased the number - the quality has gone down? making it harder for the sales team to convert them?

My initial feeling would be that it's the sales process and until the 'normal' sales team are back on the case it's impossible to make a fair comparison.

It sounds like your boss is just riding you to see if that makes you end any better - he probably did the same thing to the sales team.

Just do your best - that's all you can do.

If you're looking at your process and you believe you've improved it - just don't take your bosses outbursts personally. That might be the only way he knows to make changes he doesn't understand.

Andy

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tpw

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

At first glance it would seem that the sales team just aren't doing their usual job at getting conversions.

However, just having inquiries go up is not the same as increasing the number of buyers.

Is it possible that although you've increased the number - the quality has gone down? making it harder for the sales team to convert them?

Richard, I would probably assign 80% of the blame to the sales team and 20% to you, without knowing any additional information...

I agree with Andy...

There are a number of variables involved, and it is difficult to call...

But I would be asking myself if I had done something different to change the quality of the leads I was generating...

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Stephen Bray

14 years ago

I guess if the number of enquires has gone up then you've tweaked something over what you were doing previously?

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

Is it possible that although you've increased the number - the quality has gone down? making it harder for the sales team to convert them?
Andy

You might suggest to your boss that you split test with the previous landing pages to see if this increases conversions.

This should identify where the problem rests.

Stephen

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Richard Van

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Stephen Bray

I guess if the number of enquires has gone up then you've tweaked something over what you were doing previously?

You might suggest to your boss that you split test with the previous landing pages to see if this increases conversions.

This should identify where the problem rests.

Stephen

The previous site wasn't converting, thats why I came along, they were laying off staff (recession etc). They had no IM guy and the site was built in 2000 and was, well, crap, they'd done nothing since 2000. The new site instantly increased sales and they've employed 2 new staff since I arrived.

Thats where I'm coming from, enquiries continue to go up, even over the holiday period, it's just sales have been down over the holidays.

Rankings have shot up, PPC campaign gets clicks now. The whole point of the site is to create leads so the smooth talking bar steward sales people can get their commission. I guess if the enquiries go up some will be rubbish customers with no intention of buying, I shall try and figure a way to minimize them.

Thanks again everyone.

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Stephen Bray

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

Rankings have shot up, PPC campaign gets clicks now. The whole point of the site is to create leads so the smooth talking bar steward sales people can get their commission. I guess if the enquiries go up some will be rubbish customers with no intention of buying, I shall try and figure a way to minimize them.

Interesting. I wonder if there might be a way to pre qualify the leads you're generating in order to sort out the serious enquires from the tyre kickers?

Then you could send the best sales people to close on the hottest leads.

Maybe some kind of on-line survey would work?

It's difficult to know without knowing more about your field.

Stephen

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helisell

14 years ago

She 'thinks' it's your fault?

Are there any facts/figures/data to back up that thought.

There are many factors to consider when balancing numbers of leads against sales conversion rates.

Have you made any recent changes to the squeeze/landing/sales pages recently?

Have there been any news stories that are putting a different spin on setting up abroad?

Is there any reason why the salespeople might be underperforming?

You say you lost the top salesperson yeah? Thinking about the old 80/20 rule....that might be the only reason for the poor figures.

Just 'thinking' it is your fault is not good management in my book.

.

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No1here

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

Hello fellow Warriors,

I work for a company in London, I have ten sites to control, optimize and generate leads for.

Over the last 6 weeks its been holiday period here, kids have been off school and the sales team here have had holidays. They've lost their best sales person and the replacement is still learning the ropes.

My boss came in the other day, very angry and said that over the last 6 weeks, enquiries have been up significantly but sales have been down. She thinks it's my fault that sales are down, but the job of the site is to create enquiries that the sales team then convert, they can't buy the product from the site, only from the sales team (note. the product is opening companies for people in other countries). There are 8 sales people to talk/sell to customers and convert to sales and me alone to generate leads.

My question is...If I've got enquiries to go up over what is a naturally quiet period but the enquiries have not been converted into sales is that my fault? I mean, if I have a squeeze page and enquiries are up but the sales page they're then sent to, doesn't convert, surely it's the sales page that needs looking at, not the squeeze page.

Looking for good honest opinion on this.

Obviously this is just my opinion but for the most part I'd have to agree with your logic on this one.

The only other answer I can come up with is that perhaps your pages are not clear enough about one aspect or another and the people are enquiring about the service/product. *This however sounds unlikely since the same page designs worked well in the past, if I am to understand you correctly.

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Richard Van

14 years ago

Thanks Andy and all,

Actually she hasn't addressed the sales team, 2 are still on holiday. I appreciate the quality of leads could be an issue and I'm not saying it's not my fault. But last year they had 27 enquiries over the same period and 6 conversions (these are expensive packages) this year they had 72 enquiries and 17 conversions. So they're up on last year but not up on sales for the period before the holidays. Thats my point really, everything goes quiet over the holidays but I still increased conversions over the same point last year and the period before the holidays, it's just sales have gone down. I just think holidays play quite a big part and was happy to see I'd increased the leads. They have a mailing list now which they didn't, live chat etc etc.

I'm not saying it's not me I just think it's unfair she implies it's only me.

Bill, absolutely, I do think I'm partly to blame and sorry I can't give you all the variables. Thanks for the opinion, I value it a lot.

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tpw

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

But last year they had 27 enquiries over the same period and 6 conversions (these are expensive packages) this year they had 72 enquiries and 17 conversions. So they're up on last year but not up on sales for the period before the holidays.

Richard, There is something wrong with this story...

Follow me here...

27 inquiries and 6 conversions is a conversion rate of 22.22% (6 divided by 27)...

72 inquiries and 17 conversions is a conversion rate of 23.61% (17 divided by 72)...

"Over the same period"...

I am extremely confused... I don't understand where the "sales went down" happened...

p.s. If your boss is just stupid, I don't know what to tell you to do... LOL

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Richard Van

14 years ago

Originally Posted by tpw

Richard, There is something wrong with this story...

Follow me here...

27 inquiries and 6 conversions is a conversion rate of 22.22% (6 divided by 27)...

72 inquiries and 17 conversions is a conversion rate of 23.61% (17 divided by 72)...

"Over the same period"...

I am extremely confused... I don't understand where the "sales went down" happened...

Sorry Bill,

27 and 6 was the holiday period from last year, 72 and 17 is the holiday period this year.

They're (my boss) not looking at that info they are looking at the fact that sales are down from the previous 6 weeks before the holidays this year. I just put that in to show I have made a difference over the year.

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Hoopatang

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

Sorry Bill,

27 and 6 was the holiday period from last year, 72 and 17 is the holiday period this year.

They're (my boss) not looking at that info they are looking at the fact that sales are down from the previous 6 weeks before the holidays this year. I just put that in to show I have made a difference over the year.

Then it's in your best interest to *show* that info to your boss and make sure it gets looked at.

The numbers will always speak truth.

Also, I wouldn't mention the sales team being on holiday or otherwise saying something that would look like you might be blaming them... instead, get the sales team to work with you. Find out who the best (most converting) sales member is and get that person to go over the copy with you. He/she might have some pointers that would be invaluable. Pre-selling with some blurbs that the sales team usually mentions over the phone might work really well.

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wizozz

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

Sorry Bill,

27 and 6 was the holiday period from last year, 72 and 17 is the holiday period this year.

They're (my boss) not looking at that info they are looking at the fact that sales are down from the previous 6 weeks before the holidays this year. I just put that in to show I have made a difference over the year.

So your boss is accusing you of decreased sales in holiday season in comparison to before the holiday season? Your boss is comparing apples to oranges.

Show him the above increase, and practically no change in conversions, you should be fine. If not, you did your job well, it's your boss' fault to accuse you, instead of approve your job done well!

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mystline

14 years ago

Nope, not you're fault. Tell your boss you've been hired to generate leads not finalize sales. If the sale was made through the website then sure, it could be partially your fault for not having a well converting sales page, but since the actual sale is left up to another person you're in the clear, at least imo.

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Kim Standerline

14 years ago

Sounds to me as though you've done a good job. I bet someone is riding on your manager's back and she's passing it on. Unfortunately your in the firing line.

Some folk are crap people managers
Kim

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indchris

14 years ago

Hey Ric,

Firstly it is not your fault. The job roles are clearly defined. Secondly, like someone pointed it out, the boss is merely taking it out on everybody - If I was a qualified psychologist I would call it 'projection'. Thirdly, the solution for the sales problem is a wider issue that has to be dealt with as a team sitting face to face, fixing responsibility where necessary. Your team could probably do with a better team leader. Finally, don't let it affect you personally; take it easy and let it go. It'll pass. that's the nature of office politics. Cheers!

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rosetrees 14 years ago

Kim just took the words right out of my mouth.

I have no time for managers who operate a "blame" culture - and make sure that anyone/everyone is to blame apart from themselves.

Whatever happened to fact finding, sensible discussion and trying to work out together how to address the problem - and I presume that her manager's manager perceives a problem - or more likely is trying to cover his/her own back by passing the problem down the line.

Either get yourself promoted away from the coal face or get out and go self-employed.
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paulie888

14 years ago

Richard, just going by what you have stated so far, I'd say that the majority of the fault lies with the sales team (and perhaps the sales page if it has been changed) that is assigned to convert these leads. Of course, this is assuming that there hasn't been a drastic change in the quality of the leads that are coming into your sales funnel from the squeeze page, and you seem to have indicated that things have stayed the same.

Has the sales page been changed in any way over the last 6 weeks? Assuming the sales page is unchanged and that your method of driving traffic to the same squeeze page has remained the same, the only logical explanation for a sales decline would be the effectiveness of the sales team in converting those leads. Perhaps if you sat down with your boss and analyzed the sales funnel in this methodical way, you could get her to see things your way.

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Richard Van 14 years ago

Hi Paulie,

There is no sales page as such, the product is complicated, people are looking to open companies in other countries often for tax reasons, as this is in Europe, it's hard to sell someone on all the different advantages of each country on a sales page. The page in question provides enough information to get them to contact the sales team for more info, and the aim and function of it is to get the customer to contact the sales team for information on the country they're interested in or to decide which is best for their circumstances. Only the sales team can generate a sale, you can't buy from the site. I've set up micro sites as well for individual countries which are doing well. My boss is actually the owner of the company and is on holiday, thats why I sought everyone here's opinion as it is quality opinion.

Hi Rosetrees,

Thanks, I appreciate you're opinion and agree with it, I hate blame culture too. Regarding being self employed I am actually (I have my own business as well but employed here too). My aim you see is to move to Australia in the next year and I want some commercial experience so I can get a job to start off with rather than leaving 350k with the Aussie government for 5 years! Which I don't have! Yet.
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DogScout

14 years ago

There are 'Grinders' in every business. Smile & nod.

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