EOS®, the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, is a powerful tool for leadership and management teams. But it is an extremely useful tool for Sales Teams as well. Using EOS® can help your Sales Team stay focused and accountable, resulting in better performance and individual growth.
Useful EOS Tools
EOS® is built around a few basic tools ideal for Sales Teams.
Scorecards & Metrics
First, there is the Scorecard. This is not a new concept in sales management, but the EOS® Scorecard can be customized to fit whatever metrics are most important for your team’s success. I like to use the EOS® software Ninety.
This software is available by subscription at a very modest price. In fact, I coach all my teams to use this powerful software tool. By reviewing the Scorecard weekly, the manager can quickly learn where each individual team member needs to focus so as to grow personally and to grow their sales. However, you must identify the critical activities that will lead to sales success.
Once selected, the manager can objectively measure weekly performance and implement each salesperson’s most effective coaching strategy.
Weekly Tracked Rocks
The next EOS® tool is Rocks. These are quarterly goals that can be tracked and measured weekly. Again, Ninety (the software) makes tracking and monitoring these quarterly Rocks clean and easy. I find it extremely helpful to separate the metrics (Scorecard) from the Rocks.
Using the EOS® process, the manager and team can efficiently track progress and identify obstacles and issues in a timely manner. Rocks are typically the tool to help salespeople focus on areas of personal development and ways to grow their territory or customer base. Rocks are also useful for creating and implementing strategies.
The Scorecard and Rocks work hand in hand to improve the Sales Team’s effectiveness and success.
Level Ten Meetings
The Third EOS® tool is the Level Ten (or L-10) weekly meeting. Let’s be honest; most people hate meetings. However, regular meetings are a must for sales teams to keep everyone focused and accountable. Gino Wickman, the creator of EOS®, recommends 5 basic rules for meetings. They are:
1. Same Day,
2. Same Time,
3. Same Agenda,
4. Start On Time,
5. End On Time.
The weekly L-10 meeting is positive and upbeat. It begins with a quick review of the Scorecard, the Rocks, and weekly tasks/priorities. Then there are headlines (customer concerns, announcements, shoutouts, wins to celebrate, etc.) followed by a discussion of issues or key topics.
These meetings are fast-paced and uplifting. If you use Ninety (the software), you can run your meetings in the software with everyone signed in. It is especially effective for remote sales teams and works nicely with video conferencing resources like Zoom or Teams.
I always prefer to have meetings in person, but this is not always possible. However, even if meeting in person, I have my sales teams bring their laptop or tablet and work in Ninety as we go through the meeting together. Using a good CRM along with Ninety makes leading and managing sales teams transparent and efficient.
EOS® has many other tools, but I hope these three can help you see the value and power of EOS® with sales teams. It can truly have a transformative impact on your sales team’s effectiveness and success.
EOS Resources
There are two excellent resources to help you learn more about EOS®. They are the book Traction by Gino Wickman and What the Heck is EOS? by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer. In fact, there are many books in the EOS® library, but these two will give you a good foundation to build upon. Oftentimes in small to mid-sized businesses, there is not a dedicated Sales Manager. Without a dedicated manager to drive the process, a system like EOS® rarely succeeds. However, we have a solution for you. Our company offers Fraction Sales Manager support to qualified companies. By having an experienced Fractional Sales Manager, companies can gain an affordable, highly skilled, “fractional” manager to lead their sales team. Contact us to learn more about our Fractional Sales Manager services.
