In this two-part series, we explain why defining your responsibilities in online sales is so important and how to do it. In Part One, we’re going to walk you through the pitfalls of saying yes to every project thrown at you and the importance of clearly defining your role in online sales.
Online salespeople are pleasers. It’s what makes them so good at connecting with prospects and building interest. You want to do a good job, you want to be helpful, and you don’t ever want to complain. So when asked to work on projects outside your scope of responsibility, you may be tempted to say, “yes” to everything. But you need to be careful, as you’ll start taking on too many things.
You want to be helpful for your organization, but you’re actually doing a disservice to your organization if you don’t stick to what your responsibilities are. Learning how to confidently say “No” to these projects ultimately helps you better serve your company. In the second part of this series, we offer actionable ways to identify and avoid taking on extra responsibilities.
The “Job Description Creep” is what happens when an online sales go-getter says, “yes” to everything. Your job’s responsibilities keep growing and growing. Suddenly, your days are spent updating websites or planning events – with time you should be spending on engaging leads and getting them to an appointment.
Remember that doing something well does not mean it’s worth doing. Just because you can do it doesn’t mean it will help you reach your job goals. What people don’t understand is what’s involved with all these project activities and tasks that they give you.
When you’re spending the day running to meetings, making calls, and working on marketing projects, you can start to lose sight of what you’re supposed to be doing. You should be focusing on engaging leads and getting them to an appointment.
When you’re overworked with other things, you get out of what you’re supposed to be doing on a daily basis. Sometimes you just have to reset yourself. When you’re overworked, you start to lose enthusiasm for your job. You dread answering the phone or looking at lead generation, and ultimately your work suffers.
When this happens, take a step back and think about what you’re doing. Something needs to change.
What is your ultimate goal? To convert leads – superstar online sales reps should be seeing a 25% sales conversion. This can only happen if you focus on what truly makes a difference in your role. And the “YES!” personality that succeeds in sales can lead you to take on too much. If you’re not careful, you may stray from this goal by accepting every project asked of you.
The biggest benefit of establishing areas of responsibilities is that it allows you to set clear expectations with management and the rest of your company. Once you clarify your role within the company, it will be easier to define which tasks you should and should not be doing.
Nobody wants to complain at work, but there’s a big difference between whining about a task you don’t like and bringing up something that impedes your ability to do your job – which is converting sales.
In Part Two, we explain the breakdown of online sales priorities and how to work with management to ensure your role is clearly defined and understood by all involved. Creating an “Area of Responsibility” document that maps out everything you do, how long it takes, and what is involved is a great start. This document will help guide your conversations with management and set you on the right path.
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