Let’s chat about sales productivity. Did you know that 41% of a sales rep's day isn’t spent selling? That’s a massive time sink, costing companies 38% in revenue each quarter. 😱

But here’s the kicker: it’s not the reps’ fault. Earlier this year, we dove into what’s really going on with sales productivity. We wanted to know:

• How are reps spending their time?
• Are those tasks necessary?
• What’s the real cost of non-sales activities?

We surveyed 600 US sales pros, and guess what? 77% are working more hours than pre-pandemic, but nearly half of that time isn’t on selling. So, we asked more questions:

• What’s eating up 41% of their time if not selling?
• Are these tasks really necessary?
• What’s the opportunity cost here?

Turns out, 88% of reps said non-revenue tasks are just time lost.

Here’s what’s stealing their time:

1. Internal Meetings 😴

Half of these could be Slack messages. Seriously. 67% of sales pros say most meetings are unnecessary or could be more efficient. And, bad news, three-fourths expect more meetings in 2021.

2. Disconnected Sales Tech 🖥️

Salespeople only use 62% of their tools. Too many tools cause more headaches than they solve. On average, companies have 13 tools, but reps use just 8 regularly. Why? Because some are redundant, poorly integrated, or there are easier workarounds.

3. Scheduling Meetings 📅

Scheduling isn’t selling. 54% of salespeople spend too much time coordinating meetings. Even with calendar links, many still play the “when’s good for you?” game.

4. Updating the CRM 📝

Reps spend over 5 hours a week on their CRM. In 2021, 25% said CRMs often pull them away from selling. Managers feel this less, but 32% of salespeople below management are feeling the burn.

The True Cost of Lost Sales Time 💸

Cutting out these time-wasters could make those tough quotas actually reachable. 95% of salespeople said reducing non-revenue tasks would help hit targets. And 86% believed it would boost their paychecks.

What Would They Do With More Time? ⏳

• Connect with new prospects (66%)
• Meet new customers (64%)
• Create sales presentations or demos (42%)

And guess what? They think this could drive 38% more revenue per quarter. 🎉

The Disconnect Between Reps and Management

Before fixing these issues, teams need to understand where the time-sinks are. According to our survey, 80% of salespeople feel their management doesn’t get how time-consuming non-sales tasks are. And 78% say this leads to misalignment and unrealistic expectations.

This article aims to spotlight common blockers and help revenue teams boost efficiency and satisfaction.  Please contact us if you would like to receive our latest KEXY eBook, "How to Get More Sales with Half the Effort".

Let’s get to selling! 🚀

Source: https://www.dooly.ai/blog/sales-productivity/