In most organizations when “sales support” is mentioned, most individuals think of marketing activities such as web site creation and maintenance, collateral material publication, proposal preparation, competitive analysis, trade show coordination, and other similar tactical activities. To be sure, these activities are very important and sales reps rely on their availability, often at a moment’s notice. Additionally, there is a strategic element to sales support that needs to be provided by management. Many of those activities are described in this chapter. These activities can be thought of as positioning the sales rep for success. These activities are very different than product or service positioning which, of course, is also critical. Instead of placing the focus on sales reps, these activities are the responsibility of management to provide guidance and clarity to their frontline sales team.
Management must think of their role as providing the overall strategy, tools, and resources to the sales teams that they need to compete in a highly competitive and challenging environment. They are the company’s tip of the spear. It is management’s responsibility to ensure that their tip is sharp and resilient.
Below is a brief description of the four sections in this chapter, followed by the list of the articles along with a summary for each.
Chapter Sections and Summaries
- Building a Sales Team
Startups and newer, smaller companies all face the challenge of building a sales team. In many cases, a company will simply hire a “great” sales rep based on a personal relationship that someone in the company has with that individual. Articles in this section describe a number of factors that should be considered before building the team.
- Fighting the Fight
Every company needs to constantly focus on the profitable growth of revenue. Although each sales opportunity needs to be carefully nurtured and managed, there are some common elements that should be considered in all sales opportunities. This section discusses some of those issues.
- Field Trials
Field trials can be excellent sales tools that provide external validation and help customers become more comfortable with the presumed risks associated with purchasing the offering. However, field trials can become a very expensive activity and significantly lengthen the sales cycle. Articles in this section provide some insight into the value and timing of sales trials and when they may no longer be appropriate.
- Sales Impediments
There are sales impediments that appear in every sales opportunity. Acknowledging what they are, which are common, and what to do to avoid or counteract them is a key element in closing sales. Articles in this section discuss methods to identify and respond to impediments before, and when, they occur.
Chapter Articles and Summaries
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Introduction to Supporting the Sales Team |
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Positioning the sales team is as important as positioning the company’s product or service. |
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First, Have Something to Sell |
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Completing development is only one part of having an offering that can be sold and supported. |
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Hire the Second Best |
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Sales reps need to be scrappy for new companies or when entering new markets. |
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Establish the Rules |
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Sales reps are creative and will naturally push the rules, set them clearly first. |
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Cooks in the Army |
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People have to unlearn old habits before they can learn and embrace new ones. |
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Prospects are Everywhere |
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Focus on serving one segment instead of the total imaginable market. |
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Unleashing the Team |
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Develop a strategy and plan for the sales team and then get out of their way. |
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The CEO Sales Rep |
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There are significant upsides and downsides for the CEO to act as a sales rep. |
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The Cost of a Win |
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Not all orders are in the best interest of the company or the customer. |
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Ask Before You Sell |
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Ask prospects early and often about upcoming product features and capabilities. |
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The Biggest Challenge |
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Customers are reluctant to make fundamental changes to use your product. |
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Sell Before You Sell |
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Make sure the customer knows they have a problem before you offer a solution. |
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Provide More Than You Sell |
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Maintain the relationship long after the sale by keeping in contact with the customer. |
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Annual Reports and Other Hidden Sources |
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You can learn intimate information about your prospects through public information. |
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The Gonna Factor |
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It is easy to make commitments about the future that we quickly forget. |
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Are You Ready |
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Be sure to be ready with all of the support mechanisms in place before you launch a product. |
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A Few Finishes Versus Lots of Starts |
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Focus new product field trials with respected customers who will allow public references. |
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A Trial Blink Test |
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Suggest Conditional Sales instead of Free Trials to move the buying decision forward. |
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A Trial Final Exam |
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Ask the customer at the end of the trial for a candid assessment. |
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There is Always a Reason |
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Thoroughly understand sales impediments and develop plans to avoid or resolve them. |
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Analyze Don’t Rationalize |
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Maintain objectivity when prospects question new product capabilities. |
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A Sales and Marketing Tool |
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Objections from prospects can help to optimize products. |
