How to track and improve sales team productivity

Activities: calls, emails, meetings, demos. Outcomes: pipeline generated, deals closed, quota attainment. Track both. Activities predict outcomes but outcomes pay the bills. Balance leading and lagging indicators. Reps need clear expectations for what "good" looks like.

Time on selling activities (calls, demos, emails) vs. admin tasks (CRM updates, proposals, internal meetings). Top performers spend 50%+ of time selling; average reps spend 30%. Identify where time is wasted and create leverage to free up selling time.

Use tools to automate CRM logging, email sequences, proposal generation, and scheduling. Every hour saved on admin is an hour available for selling. Invest in enablement tools that reduce friction. Technology multiplies rep capacity.

Provide battle cards, pitch decks, ROI calculators, case studies, and email templates. Reps shouldn't recreate collateral—give them best-in-class assets. Enablement reduces ramp time, improves win rates, and increases velocity.

Measure productivity, not just effort. Revenue per rep, average deal size, and time-to-close show efficiency. If reps are busy but not productive, dig into why. Coaching, better leads, or process improvements may be needed.

Weekly check-ins to understand what's slowing reps down: bad leads, long approval processes, product gaps, skill gaps. Remove obstacles proactively. Coaching on time management and prioritization improves productivity as much as skill training.

Identify what top 20% do differently: better discovery, faster follow-up, more demos per week. Share their playbooks and tactics. Create peer learning opportunities. Elevate the whole team by teaching what works.