I’m sure somewhere along the way you’ve heard someone say during the business day: Right tool for the right job.
If you’re using the right tool to do the work it becomes easier and more likely to get done. If you’re using the wrong tool it becomes many times harder. Sometimes to the point where you want to give up or you find every excuse to not do it.
For example:
- Would you use a farm tractor to cut the lawn in the front and back of your house when a riding mower will more than adequately do the job? Of course not!
- Would you drive a 40 foot tractor trailer rig to deliver one small package? Of course not!
Right tool for the right job.
As a CEO, president or business owner, the same holds true for the employees working for you. Part of hiring right is putting the right person in the right job at the right time. Think of your employees as a tool with many moving parts to get the job done at your company.
There’s nothing more important to the success of your company than sales. Nothing.
Ask yourself:
- What’s the responsibility of the company sales team?
The answer may seem obvious. It’s to do three things, primarily:
1) Prospect
2) Conduct sales presentations
3) Close the deal (or sale; contract).
What often happens, especially at small to mid-size companies, is the responsibilities of sales personnel tends to blur at times. Why? Because many companies try to do more with less in order to be more profitable in today’s highly competitive business marketplace. Run a leaner, more nimble company. Suddenly, the sales department becomes the marketing, public relations or customer service department. When that happens, salespeople can’t do what they were hired to do, and that is, to sell.
Salespeople sell.
Period.
Salespeople prospect, do sales presentations and close the deal. That’s it.
That doesn’t mean salespeople don’t do paperwork. It doesn’t mean they don’t follow up with customers when necessary. Every hour that’s wasted on doing something that’s not directly sales related or will assist in finding, acquiring and keeping customers, is an hour wasted. It’s an hour they are not prospecting, meeting potential new customers or establishing further needs current customers may have. It’s an hour lost towards achieving company sales goals. It’s an hour lost for sales training and sales people to improve their sales skills. It’s an hour you can’t get back in lost sales productivity.
As the CEO, president or business owner, you need to make sure you’re getting the best out of your sales team. Don’t accept average as it will cost you in sales revenues. It’s time to think about what your sales team’s responsibilities are.
There are exceptions. You may be an entrepreneur or a start-up right now.
Running a business and being your own sales department doesn’t make it easy to reach the goals you have for your company. Your goal should be to assemble a sales team. So you can then concentrate on developing and growing your company.
There are other responsibilities of salespeople, for example: filling out paperwork including weekly reports to keep you informed of what they’ve done, what they’ve accomplished, how many prospects they’ve talked to or seen, how many appointments they have and at what stage of the sales process everything is at.
What it comes down to is that it’s about: focus. Make sure your sales team knows what their responsibilities are. Make sure your sales team is reporting back to you on a timely basis so you know what is happening.
Salespeople sell. No excuses.
If they’re not selling, if they’re not reaching their goals, if they’re not bringing in business, then you need to rethink the sales strategy at your company – and who is on your sales team.
Remember:
Leaders lead.
Right tool/right person for the right job.
Salespeople sell.
Go sell something today – because it only matters what you sell today not yesterday or last week or what you may sell next month.
To your success!
Business expert and strategist, Howard Lewinter, guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners throughout the United States across a wide range of industries, to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress. Business people trust Howard’s vast business knowledge, practical advice, intuitive insight and objective perspective to solve business problems and issues. Get MORE from your business! Talk business with Howard: 888-738-1855.
Connect with Howard on LinkedIn.
Follow Howard on Twitter.