What do you measure about your individual sales efforts? For most organizations, outcome metrics like sales revenue, margins, and market share are the main focus—and for good reason. These outcomes reflect the success of a company’s go-to-market strategy. However, the sales process that drives these results is often less examined. The factors that influence sales outcomes are key to improving individual performance and driving organizational success.

Our research shows that the most effective salespeople take a formal, intentional approach to self-managing their efforts. They don’t just focus on closing deals; they measure and refine the processes that lead to those outcomes. This post explores how sales professionals can track and analyze both quantity and quality metrics to improve their performance and build stronger customer relationships.

Process metrics matter

A sale is the result of a process. The most successful salespeople today are intentional and disciplined about managing that process—especially with their most important customer opportunities. In finance, my colleague, Dr. Mike Boehlje, is famous for his presentation on the levers that drive organizational results. He emphasizes the importance of metrics like “Earns and Turns,” which measure quantity and quality to drive results. The interesting thing is that there are similar metrics in the sales process that influence outcomes.

Tracking process metrics allows sales professionals to identify what’s working, pinpoint areas for improvement, and allocate their efforts more effectively. The key is to focus on two types of metrics:

  • Quantity metrics: The number and frequency of sales calls.
  • Quality metrics: The effectiveness and impact of those activities.

Understanding quantity metrics in sales

Quantity metrics measure the volume of sales activities and how effort is distributed across different types of customers and stages of the buying process. These metrics provide insights into how time and energy are being spent.

Salespeople should track the following:

  • Number of sales calls: Track different types of calls, such as prospecting, service, discovery, presentations, and closing calls.
  • Frequency of engagement: How often are you reaching out to customers and prospects?
  • Customer segmentation: Break down efforts by customer type and stage.
    For example:
    • Customer types: Use an ABC distinction, where As represent the best opportunities, Bs are mid-tier, and Cs are least likely to yield a positive ROI.
    • Customer stages: Differentiate between prospects, customer prospects (less than 50% share of wallet), and existing customers.

By looking at this mix, busy sellers can identify patterns in how they allocate their efforts. Sometimes we might think we’re being intentional, but by looking at these breakdowns, we may realize that too much time is being spent on low-value customers, leaving less time for high-potential opportunities.

Quality metrics and the role of call plans

Quality metrics are more challenging to measure but are crucial for understanding the effectiveness of sales activities. I’ve heard many managers say that the best measure of sales call quality is a sale. That’s hard to argue with, except it doesn’t provide very rich (or actionable) information. Some organizations measure “customer satisfaction” as a proxy for sales call quality, but those metrics are often unreliable and tend to capture the extremes.

Instead, salespeople should assess quality by comparing call plans and call reports:

  • Call Plans: A good plan includes a clear purpose, discussion points, discovery objectives, measurable customer behavior objectives, and value to be delivered to the customer.
  • Call Reports: After the call, evaluate whether the objectives were met, what was discussed, what was learned, what value was delivered, and next steps.

Analyzing this information can help us answer questions like:

  • How well do I execute my call plans?
  • How often do I think about the value I bring to customers on a sales call?  Is value always about me, or is it about things the customer cares about most?
  • How well do I learn about customers? If my questions are mostly about transaction related information, do I really have a relationship with my customers?

Insights from research

Our research on nearly 3,000 U.S. sales professionals highlights the impact of managing process metrics:

  • Top-performing sellers use call plans 27.7% more frequently than less capable sellers.
  • They also use call reports 20.4% more often.

These findings suggest that successful salespeople are not just working harder; they are working smarter by actively managing and analyzing their sales processes. They understand that quality planning and reflection lead to better outcomes over time.

Putting it all together

Tracking the quantity and quality of sales calls can help us pinpoint how we might want to work on our efforts. Many organizations require this type of information and house it in a CRM system. That’s great, but the true value lies in analyzing and acting on it. We get a positive ROI for this information when we analyze our quality across different customer types and stages. By evaluating your performance across different customer types and stages, you can:

  • Improve your execution of call plans.
  • Ensure that the value you deliver aligns with what customers care about most.
  • Strengthen relationships by asking better questions and learning more about your customers.

Conclusion

The best salespeople know that success is not just about hitting numbers; it’s about managing the process that drives those numbers. By tracking and analyzing the quantity and quality of your sales activities, you can become more intentional about your efforts and achieve better results. Are you ready to start measuring and managing your way to success?

What metrics do you use to manage your sales process? Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more about how to optimize your sales performance.