It’s not uncommon that I ask a CEO or President what sales means to their organization and am told: “Howard, It’s real simple. ‘Name, Sales’.”
So then I’ll ask: “Is it important who your people are talking to?”
“Well, yes.”
The conversation may continue this way…
“And is it important where these people are located?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Is it important how things are getting priced and what the margins are?”
“You bet.”
“Are these things written down anywhere?”
“Well, kind of, sort of. OK, no they’re not”
You see, it’s a little more complicated than “Name, Sales” There are two things that are critical to the implementation of your sales plan:
1) You need the plan which identifies your market niches and your strategy for reaching each one. Part of the plan needs to include processes which make it as easy as possible for your sellers to do their jobs.
2) You need to develop your people to be able to operate at more of their potential.
There are interpersonal skills necessary for a professional seller such as:
- Effective Communication,
- Ability to Relate to Others,
- Self Image,
- Confidence and,
- Time Management.
There are also selling skills necessary such as:
- Prospecting,
- Developing Rapport,
- Questioning Skills,
- Building a Case for Action,
- Gaining Committment and,
- Follow Up.
If you are not addressing both your strategy and developing your people, why not?
You just can’t afford to ignore these any longer.
The success of your business depends on having and executing the right plan, and developing your people to be the best they can be for themselves, your organization, and the customers they serve.
Remaining status quo is just not an option anymore.
If you don’t have a sales plan in place, start working on one now. If you don’t have a process in place to help your sellers with the critical skills they need, design and implement one now!
Don’t wait any longer to address this on your own. If you feel that an objective third party could help you, call me today to meet. I’ll leave you with action steps you can immediately take to increase your sales teams effectiveness.
My natural gifts lie in my ability to understand the immediate needs of a situation and establish an effective action plan to produce desired results. Also in understanding and identifying strengths and weaknesses of individuals, evaluating them against the requirements of a job or goal, and designing processes which will effectively elevate a persons skills to the level they need to achieve success.
Stop leaving money on the table. Address these two important areas and ensure the sales results that you really want!
