| In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help | | | | problems that the software products addressed. |
| them build a software specialist sales team. The | | | | And, we could provide them with tools they could |
| distributor had more than 100 "generalist" | | | | use as "cheat sheets" in the field to determine |
| salespeople, but these salespeople were doing a | | | | whether prospects had those specific business |
| poor job of selling software. The distributor's | | | | problems, and if they did, to quantify the impact |
| management felt a team of specialists could help | | | | of the business problems. |
| jump-start growth in software sales. | | | | There was just one challenge. The software |
| This was a very interesting project for several | | | | manufacturers' marketing departments were all |
| reasons. First, the distributor had sixteen software | | | | accustomed to delivering very detailed, technical |
| products in its portfolio. Second, they couldn't | | | | training. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get |
| afford to hire experienced software salespeople. | | | | them to understand the kind of abbreviated, |
| Instead, we needed to hire good consultative | | | | targeted training that I wanted my salespeople to |
| salespeople and train them to sell all sixteen | | | | receive. I even roughed out a sample training tool |
| software products. We also needed to write a | | | | (the very first Get Dangerous Quickly (TM) |
| business plan, get a budget approved, hire six | | | | document) and sent it to each software |
| salespeople, train them to sell sixteen software | | | | manufacturer. Despite repeated conversations and |
| products, and have them working in the | | | | lots of good-faith efforts, they just never "got it". |
| field...within 90 days. | | | | So, I developed my team's training tools and |
| Sound impossible? It sure seemed that way at | | | | conducted most of the training myself. |
| first glance; but, when I talked to the various | | | | What were the results? The six software |
| software manufacturers, I came to an important | | | | salespeople helped the distributor's existing 100 |
| realization. All of the software manufacturers | | | | salespeople double software sales during their first |
| were almost desperately eager for incremental | | | | six months on the job! |
| opportunities. If the new software salespeople | | | | This project taught me a very important lesson: |
| could identify qualified opportunities, the software | | | | salespeople DON'T need to be experts in specific |
| manufacturers would be delighted to provide | | | | products or services to sell them successfully. |
| product experts to help turn the opportunities into | | | | They DO need to be experts in the business |
| sales. So, all the new software salespeople really | | | | problems that the products or services can solve, |
| needed to learn was how to find and qualify | | | | as well as how to find and qualify opportunities, |
| opportunities. | | | | and how to leverage expert resources. |
| I knew there was no way we could make our | | | | If you want to produce rapid sales results, |
| new salespeople experts in sixteen software | | | | redesign your product/service training curriculums |
| products in any reasonable time frame. But, we | | | | to help your salespeople "get dangerous quickly". |
| could make them experts in the business | | | | You'll be glad you did! |