Archive for March 25th, 2009
You Could be Selling to a Three Year Old
I was reading an interesting article this morning on child behavior, more specifically why toddlers don’t necessarily do what they are told. According to the research, three year olds don’t think like the rest of us.
For everyone older than three, if you realize it is cold outside you can think ahead and grab your coat before you head out the door. The three year old, however, has a different mental process. The three year old HAS to run outside, experience the cold, retrieve the memory of where his coat is, and then go get it.
As I continued to think, though, the article gave me a potential explanation for some curious customer interactions I have seen over the years.
I have seen clients trust their Account Managers recommendation enough to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of hardware and software, but then slash the recommended implementation and training budget thus hobbling the deployment before it even begins.
Curiously, what were two of the top 5 things customers were most unhappy about after their deployments? Perceived poor implementation and insufficient end user training.
Why does your customer “hear” you and order the hardware and software but then selectively ignore you on the topics of implementation and training?
In short, because the customer, like the three year old, either can’t register what you are saying, does not have the frame of reference on which to fully comprehend the question, let alone make an informed decision or just does not trust your recommendation in this area. He may very well have to experience the pain, then seek the remedy.
More specifically in these instances, I see two possibilities.
Your client does not take your recommendation because you have not established an unwavering trust in the areas of implementation and training to override his lack of understanding of the potential ramifications.
Or.
Because you are perceived as an expert in hardware and software, an area where the client acknowledges he has little knowledge, but are also perceived as less than an expert, or worse yet, a corporate shill, in implementation and training, where the client may feel he has some relevant expertise.
The resolution is similar for both.
Put the same level of planning and forethought into discussing the training and implementation as you put into the discussion about your core offering. When you do discuss training and implementation, discuss hard numbers from other similar implementations, with references if necessary, to build the same level of trust you built on your core offering.
Give me your thoughts on this “Theory of 3.”
Image courtesy of http://seo2.0.onreact.com/
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Hiring Sales People: Recruiting for the Right Sales Role
Discussion boards are rife with comments from business owners lamenting the problems they have experienced on their quest to find an exceptional sales professional. Arguably, a person that is exceptional should, by definition, be hard to find.
So how DO you find the right sales guy for your company? Begin by defining your sales process and the role you need this new sales professional to fill.
This is ONE aspect, mind you. Future posts will define other aspects selecting and building a solid sales team for your business.
I use the terms “hunter” and “farmer” in this post, I assume most are familiar with the terms, but just in case, here is a brief definition:
Hunter – a sales person engaged in finding new opportunities with new clients.
Farmer – a sales person engaged in managing existing client relationships.
Sales Intern – Free to low paid position, the primary reward for this position being the resume worthy experience and references the position can provide.
Hire for: sales lead data entry, basic sales contact management, assist with proposal development, general support host for in office lunch meeting, answer the phones, take some messages, general sales gopher.
Telemarketer – Typical entry level position with higher than average turn over and typically the lowest rung on the sales job ladder. Could be home based, office based or outsourced to a 3rd party call center.
Role: Sometimes Farmer; Rarely Hunter/Farmer; Typical Hunter
Hire for: Hire a telemarketer if you have plenty of leads, you just need someone to call them. Hire this person to do simple product driven sales, call to set appointment, research, sales or service add-on’s, follow up or act in a supporting sales role or layer of marketing for a larger sales organization.
Inside Sales – Home based or office based sales professional of entry or mid-level career experience.
Role: Typically Farmer; Sometimes Hunter/Farmer; Rarely Hunter
Hire for: Hire a person for this role as a training ground to develop future outside sales professionals. Hire a person in this role to assist an outside sales team, cold call, develop leads, manage an existing client base, develop proposals, do sales follow up calls, or as your primary selling organization if you do not need to build strong client relations or an outside sales presence. In many instances this role is blended with aspects of telemarketing.
Account Manager/Executive – Like the Inside Sales Representative, typically home based or office based sales professional of entry or mid-level career experience with minimal to no activities supporting other sales teams.
Role: Typically Farmer; Sometimes Hunter/Farmer; Sometimes Hunter
Hire for: Hire for this role if you need someone to manage all aspects of the sales process that can be accomplished bound to a desk. A person in this role can work in support of an outside account manager(s), or be your primary sales weapon if you product or services can be sold without the need for an outside sales presence.
Account Manager/Executive – Outside Sales – Like the Account Manager, except working a defined territory, visiting a prospects place of business. Typically mid to senior level experience.
Role: Sometimes Farmer; Sometimes Hunter/Farmer; Often Hunter
Hire for: Hire for this role if you need someone to engage with your client at their place of business, at networking events, seminars, trade shows or other external promotional events. The person engaged in this role is typically a hunter. In many cases these individuals are responsible for finding their own leads, sometimes this role is supported by an Inside Account Manager or Inside Sales person. Sometimes leads for this individual are driven by Telemarketers as well.
Business Development Executive – Can be another name for an Inside/Outside Account Manager but is a title typically reserved for those engaged in activities beyond selling a set product to a set market. Typically mid career to senior level experience.
Role: Rarely Farmer; Sometimes Hunter/Farmer; Often Hunter
Hire for: Hire for this role if you need someone to create new lines of business, new markets for existing products, new applications for existing products or new partnership opportunities. As with an Outside Account Manager, in many cases these individuals are responsible for finding their own leads and are sometimes supported by an inside sales staff.
Sales Overlay/Subject Matter Expert – Role typically defined as a single product champion within a multi- product sales organization. Typically mid to senior level experience.
Role: Specialist; Supporting Hunter/Farmer
Hire for: Hire for this role if you need to focus attention on one product line, if one product line is vastly more complex or difficult to sell than other offerings, or if there are too many products for your primary sales organization to promote consistently.
Sales Engineer/Subject Matter Technical Expert – Role
Role: Specialist; Supporting Hunter/Farmer
Hire for: Hire someone for this position if your sales cycle involves engaging with customer side technical teams to discuss technical aspects that are beyond the depth of what you expect your traditional sales team to address.
Sales Manager – Role responsible for managing single or multiple teams of the sales professionals comprised of one or multiple sales roles.
Role: Primarily Manager, Sometimes Farmer; Sometimes Hunter/Farmer; Rarely Hunter
Hire for: Hire someone for this role to manage an existing sales team, hire, train, develop, coach, motivate, teach, possibly set compensation models, manage forecasts and pipeline activity, possibly set strategy and marketing direction.
Director of Sales – Role responsible for managing multiple sales managers within an organization. Can set overall strategy and tactics
Role: Manager
VP of Sales/Business Development – Title is in some cases interchangeable with Director of Sales. Can manage multiple business units, sales directors, and sales management teams.
Role: Manager
Hire for: Executive level position providing front line sales experiences with executive management team. Sets overall sales strategy and company targets for the entire sales organization.
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The title or role of the sales professional is only one aspect you need to keep in mind when hiring the right sales professional for your organization. Just make sure you understand the sales role you need to fill so you can identify the sales qualities you need to look for in your interview process.
If you have a question, ask. If you need a little more assistance, email me at val @ saleslaundry.com
