We will each week issue a new Near Real Sales Story. Q: What is a Near Real Sales Story? A: a story based on real facts, slightly modified in order to protect privacy of stakeholders. Q: what’s the value of a Near Real Sales Story? A: A Near Real Sales Story brings morale, and some lessons learned. Q: what it will look like? A: once upon a time the Jim, the General Manager of Swisstech (named changed), decided to increase the ability of his teams who are selling computer hardware, services & financing to target new decision makers in their accounts. Jim, decided that Selling to Executives would require not only preparing and participating into another sales program, it will be a dramatic change in ways his teams and management would be selling in the future. He took 4 key decisions: 1. Actively participate to a pilot session with his management board composed of: HR , Finance, Services, direct Sales, marketing directors with clear objectives: · test and validate the program · have his management team changing mentality when considering selling to executives · Be sure that everyone would go in the same defined direction. 2. Have everyone pre-sales, sales, account directors, marketing trained. 3. Friday coffe talk would incorporate a specific “who is Selling to Executives?” session. This way an ongoing reinforcement that “this is the way to go!” 4. A specific Selling to Executives “Key Sales Objective” has been defined: sales people only do what they are paid to do. It is not a miracle that sales changed their approach Vis à Vis selling to new business decision makers. Results came very fast with everyone taking new C-Level appointments, keeping the usual business going on. JR point of view: Jim took the right decisions, the one that do not cost much!! , by getting all his organization aligned, and through weekly reinforcement (Friday coffee speech), he became the central actor of the Change Management he wanted to happen. Old sales reps (25 years in the job), admited very soon after the seminar that “it works”, meaning they were able to get access to C-Levels in their accounts. Some C-Level even told Jim’s teams, “why didn’t you come before? We are always open to discuss business with a well managed company like yours!!” Morale: take the right decision , be sure your management is supporting the new sales strategy, demonstrate your real and sincere interest in the change you are imposing, measure it and pay people to do it !!, Do it yourself so no one will doubt of your determination and comitment.
