In our day, it makes no sense to start new businesses with wonderful products or services and only try to increase your sales "quantitatively." You will only face the frustration of not being able to achieve this vital desire unless it exists and is appreciated with real facts that you also have the conviction that it will only be achieved when "the qualitative" is present in a perceptible and beneficial way by the final recipients.
Each company has a successful destination according to what its managers know, want and decide at every step of their lives in the market.
We all want to sell more to continue in the race competing in our market niche and enjoy the profitability that is obtained only as a result of the sale obtained, that is, the one effectively made and collected.
However, desire is always in conflict with reality, and the steps that are taken on a daily basis with the opportunities to generate periodic sales results are always exposed to the analysis that each potential buyer makes, even if it is not explicitly appreciable.
The hidden face of this desire to sell more is not always present and accompanying such a justified quantitative aspiration, is: «to sell more
Do we want to sell better? »
If we refer to the results of our 2nd Survey on Professional Sales and to the descriptive and expanding articles (1) that describe our Latin American culture towards professional sales, we will better understand the reason for this last question.
In our days, it makes no sense to start new businesses with wonderful products or services and only try to increase your sales "quantitatively." You will only face the frustration of not being able to achieve this vital desire unless it exists and is appreciated with real facts that you also have the conviction that it will only be achieved when "the qualitative" is present in a perceptible and beneficial way by the final recipients..
Those who still persist in increasing sales only quantitatively, excluding qualitative virtues, today face several dilemmas. Among them we can highlight the daily loss in the fight against competitors that perhaps, with similar products but with a more qualified level of management, manage to generate a certain and even significant loss in their sales income.
It should be clarified that "the quantitative desire" does not refer to the sale of consumer products, they generate their achievements by means of an efficient and permanent incentive to purchase them through heavy investments in communication (advertising, promotion, dissemination, etc.) and They are accessible in self-service centers, self-care centers and other distribution modalities. For these, just a good message that consistently highlights the benefits over time is enough for the potential consumer to know where to get it.
All other products or services that have interesting and even very particular characteristics " must be associated with each need or problem so that potential buyers can visualize the satisfaction of their need or the solution of their problem with them and thus be able to make their best buy «.
To achieve this, other strengths are required that are not always present in the "traditional" sales management modality and that due to their "malpractice" have blurred the valuable and true concept of selling.
Each potential buyer is unique.
If we intend to generate higher sales, it must be based on the main reason to truly recognize and accept that "no two customers are the same." What motivated you to buy a certain product or service, will not necessarily be valid for everyone else. Maybe there are coincidences, but it will only happen when it has been verified after professionally interviewing them.
The advisory role (2)
It is the representative profile that every potential buyer wants to interview. Not as a descriptive title but as a consequence of the role that you effectively play before him or her, providing you with information, guidance and induction towards the best decision that leads you to solve your problem or effectively and appreciably satisfy your need with your products or services.
When this is not present in the figure of the representative, the potential buyer will always try to free himself from the improvised representative to obtain the advice he requires from another source, which probably ends up falling to a representative of the competition, better selected and trained to carry out the management. sales key.
To confirm this aspect, simply remember some recent experience. Evoke in your mind the last time you entered a premises and you met a person who did not know how to analyze your need or problem with you, let alone provide you with satisfaction or solution, respectively… and also evoke the feeling that caused you and the action that performed as a consequence.
From management consulting experiences, it has been verified that many sales are lost for this reason, even when the message that reaches the manager or director of the area is "a new and creative excuse or justification" that adds to a rich repertoire that in no way contributes to generating more sales and that prevents explaining and implementing improvements in this aspect that we are sharing.
If you intend to sell more because you are truly convinced that the quality of management is essential, it is important to keep in mind that the advisory role of professional sales represents: “Assuming that the act of selling involves thinking, feeling and permanently wanting the benefit of neighbor with our offer through each of our actions, until this is perceived by each of the potential customers and consumers. ”
By applying this concept in each action, and by means of an effective management method that adds consistency, the quantitative result will be the reflection that will materialize such a noble and important desire and also, it will introduce us to "the virtuous circle of professional sales".
Keep in mind that: "From the satisfaction provided in each successful interview, there is the much desired sales field and which is only accessed through professionalized management."
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In this second part, we will discuss how to have professional representatives so that they can consistently play the "advisory role" that generates quality sales in order to delight prospects and customers.
When deciding to form a professional team of representatives, it is necessary to accept that it will not be formed by chance or randomly as is usually believed and carried out in companies that carry out "traditional sales".
Firstly, it is necessary to design the organizational structure intended to fulfill such an important role in the organization. Then, it corresponds to define the detail of tasks that each representative must carry out within a scheme that we will call " effective management method ", both in field and administrative activities. (one)
The responsibilities, the measurement parameters of its daily and periodic management, the goals to be achieved and the administrative tasks that must be carried out, must be established in writing and framed within " rules of the game " (procedures) that will govern its scope, methods, level of authorization, rewards and penalties.
Said effective management method specifies the path that, previously verified, produces quality and consistency in achieving the results that in each case need to be obtained periodically. And as will be understood, each company, business, products and services requires that it be configured.
The same should be done regarding the figure of the manager or superior who will be responsible for achieving the goals assigned to him through the results produced by the members of his team.
The selection profiles to ensure the incorporation of the manager and representatives, is the key that leads to a successful destination. To do this, they must be developed with the highest level of detail so that only those who can count on resources that can develop and specialize as really required in each case can be chosen.
The relevant aspect of the structure, which allows the planning, monitoring and objective control of the management that the entire team performs, and at all times, is what we call "the dashboard" or the " sales management system «. (two)
Through its "tailor-made" design, the entire structure registers periodically and generates the level of performance of the team. Likewise, each member not only feeds him but also feeds on him to efficiently plan his actions that lead him logically and effectively towards a consistent level of productivity by being able to maximize all his individual potential in his daily performance.
The remuneration scheme must be clearly defined, understandable and directly related to the productivity to be achieved with the management of the representatives. It is the engine that will nurture the motivation towards greater and better income of the team members, sowing and germinating in each member the desire to evolve towards more ambitious goals of achievement and remuneration.
All the elements previously described must be available for use at the time of incorporating the representatives, as well as the presence of the designated manager who will ultimately be the one who elects their representatives, taking full responsibility for their team and the results that with them produce.
The induction will be the initial program that will make each representative know where they are, which company they will represent, the people who make it up, and will fundamentally contribute to “putting on the shirt of the company and its products or services. ».
After that, the initial training will be carried out, which provides them with all the conceptual tools, practices, abilities and skills that they will need to start producing their results efficiently from their first day of effective action. (3)
The improvement and reinforcement of its management is provided by the manager in his role as "coach" (sports technical director) who will guide, correct and motivate individually and collectively towards better achievements the work carried out by all his representatives.
The responsibility of knowledge
This description allows knowing how it is done to have the team that makes the desire for greater and better sales achievements, which is what really determine the success of every business and activity.
It should be noted that in carrying out each of the stages described, it does not allow improvisations since it would only result in a return to what "traditionally was the previous sales management" and was not desired, especially by its market recipients.
When not known, "malpractice" could be understood but not accepted by potential clients for reasons of "ignorance", which left them no choice but to resort to competition that could provide better quality of care.
Likewise, it is important to accept that upon discovering them and still not carrying them out, another more serious step would be incurred to the detriment of the business itself, since the effect achieved by its omission already corresponds to the field of "negligence".
Finally, and as expressed in part I of this article: "The hidden face of this desire to sell more is not always present and accompanying such a justified quantitative aspiration, that is," to sell more, do we want to sell better? " To which we could add: "How ready and determined are we to achieve it?"
References:
- 2nd Survey on Professional Sales 2002. Professional Sales, 4th Edition, Part I Professional Sales, 4th Edition, Part I, chapters 1 and 2 See Professional Sales Management Consulting See Sales Tracking Module at the Management and Sales Training Management Level Professional Sale, 4th Edition, Parts I, II and III
© Copyright 2003, by Martín E. Heller
