| In most industries to-day, a handful of ideal | | | | them as part of the sales team but coaching the |
| customers have become universal targets. Nearly | | | | team is as important as playing in it. In other |
| every industrial salesperson dreams of calling on | | | | words, sales managers must be prepared to |
| the CEO's or managing directors of those top | | | | provide training, feedback and support to every |
| companies, which logically means that there are | | | | individual within the team. |
| maybe 500 customers for a million sellers. With | | | | Once committed to the training process, they |
| such intense competition, conventional approaches | | | | must routinely reinforce new ways of behaving in |
| are not equal to the challenge. Salespeople need | | | | real sales situations. They must provide a clear |
| to develop strategies that distinguish their | | | | sense of direction on a daily basis, not just at the |
| products, services and their organisations in the | | | | monthly sales meeting / quarterly review / annual |
| mind of the customer. | | | | appraisal |
| Making a sale has always involved an element of | | | | The very best sales managers engage in frequent |
| systematic planning but strategic selling means | | | | coaching and feedback, even when their sales |
| more than rehearsing product information and | | | | people work in remote locations. While |
| timing the close. Strategic selling begins with | | | | encouraging salespeople to air their problems |
| understanding your company's strategy, vision, | | | | openly and discuss their concerns, sales managers |
| and distinctiveness and then selecting high profile | | | | must be able to offer clear and specific feedback |
| customers. | | | | for improving sales performance |
| The next step, logically, is anticipating each stage | | | | Rewarding Change: |
| of the buying process, from analysing the | | | | The sales manager is charged with translating the |
| competition to identifying the influencers and | | | | company's reward system into specific |
| decision-makers and being switched in to the | | | | improvements in sales performance. Both |
| buyer's political issues. In other words, there is a | | | | salespeople and corporate managers count on the |
| need for a comprehensive strategic profile and | | | | sales manager to recognise and reward |
| rigorous opportunity assessment process. | | | | outstanding achievement, formally and informally. |
| Most important, strategic selling means | | | | The process of promoting new attitudes about |
| strategising from the customer's point of view. | | | | the customer and the role of the salesperson can |
| Top achievers see strategic selling as a routine | | | | be frustrating and slow. Reverting back to recent |
| part of their work - not a final resort. | | | | research there is compelling evidence to suggest |
| What Are The Implications For Sales | | | | that companies will see results sooner if they |
| Management? | | | | recognise and reward salespeople - "you get |
| For companies to remain competitive now, their | | | | more of the behaviour and results that you |
| sales organisation must be able to respond | | | | reward". |
| positively to changing economic tides. As | | | | The trend in sales compensation appears to be |
| businesses strive to establish customer | | | | away from commission to guaranteed salary, |
| orientation, sales partnerships and a strategic | | | | from compensation based on orders to |
| approach to selling, they are demanding more and | | | | compensation based on delivery and sign-off. |
| more from their salespeople but ensuring that | | | | Interestingly some organisations we know, base |
| these new methods are widely practised and | | | | their 'salesperson of the year' award on the basis |
| smoothly implemented falls to sales management | | | | of customer satisfaction or customer retention |
| Building Productivity: | | | | rather than sheer volume of orders or activity |
| Sales productivity is a strategic issue. That's why | | | | Summary - And Now the Good News: |
| problems in this area stem from salespeople being | | | | It is now a given fact in any sales-related seminar |
| unclear about their company's priorities i.e. what | | | | or conference you may attend that traditional |
| their message should be and what they should be | | | | sales methods are being relegated to the annals |
| selling. | | | | of history. The new, more discerning customers |
| The trend in industry of removing layers of | | | | of today have seen to that. They now wield |
| management between the sale force and the | | | | greater bargaining power, demand more value for |
| general manager presents a challenge to those | | | | money and have become more knowledgeable |
| sales managers who remain. To begin with, the | | | | and professional when it comes to |
| sales manager becomes an essential link between | | | | decision-making. Suppliers are now faced with |
| company strategy and what takes place in the | | | | rising customer expectations and the need to |
| customer's office. He or she must not only grasp | | | | become more flexible to the requirements of |
| the corporate vision but be able to communicate | | | | each individual client. |
| it to the sales force in terms of the real effects | | | | Yet the key to differentiation lies within these |
| on sales practices | | | | expectations, since more complex buying |
| Creating Direction: | | | | decisions lead customers to value closer links with |
| Sales managers with an intimate feel for the | | | | their suppliers. |
| selling process succeed because their staff regard | | | | Copyright © 2006 Jonathan Farrington. |