| Ask yourself the follow the questions: | | | | business translates its sales strategy into sales action. |
| - How has your strategy and /or market place | | | | You need to make sure the current products and style |
| changed recently? | | | | of sales people you have are matched accordingly. |
| - How have you seen the role of 'sales' change over | | | | If customer's product or service education level |
| the last few years in your industry? | | | | changes (i.e. they become more sophisticated), and |
| - How do your sales people compare to your | | | | there is change to the product and access (i.e. online), |
| competitors? | | | | there will be a change in your sales force |
| - How do your sales people need to sell now? | | | | requirements. However, some products which can |
| - How is your product offering behaving in the market | | | | behave as commodities in their own right can become |
| place now? Was it once exclusive and now a | | | | part of a complex sales solution and need sales |
| commodity? The definition of a 'good' salesperson is | | | | people who are specialists, experts or advisors. |
| driven by many possible needs. Those needs are a | | | | Let's look at Business Banking |
| function of industry standards, changing market | | | | Business Banking is really an essential service for any |
| conditions, competition, corporate strategy and culture, | | | | business, however the products on offer are often |
| personalities, past experiences, just to name a few. | | | | standard and commoditised in their own right. |
| In addition, many organisations overlook the shift in their | | | | So what is a business banking customer wanting from |
| products or services from being customised and | | | | a Business Bank? It depends on the relationship. |
| exclusive to a commoditised entity and the impact this | | | | Current research indicates that many want 'ease of |
| has on their sales force and sales efforts. So it's not | | | | doing business' and 'value for money'. The research |
| just how your sales people behave that can affect | | | | also shows that many customers are not as |
| sales, it's also how your product or service behaves. | | | | sophisticated and savvy in knowing the 'ins' and 'outs' |
| Let's take a look at computers | | | | of Business Banking and therefore many would like to |
| For many years (in the late 1980s and early 1990s) | | | | rely upon the expertise, advice and support from their |
| computers were highly priced, exclusive products sold | | | | business banker. |
| by highly priced, exclusive sales people. These sales | | | | However, many Business Banking providers have not |
| people were specialists, experts or advisors selling into | | | | developed, trained or supported their Business Bankers |
| the big end of town because these were the only | | | | to be specialists, experts or advisors. Most customers |
| businesses who could afford computers back then. | | | | still go to their accountant for that advice and then use |
| However, as: | | | | Business Banking products rather than extracting the |
| - the cost to manufacture these products decreased | | | | possible value from their Business Banker. |
| making them more accessible and cheaper to buy, and | | | | As with Business Banking, there is often a great |
| - customers education, knowledge, awareness and | | | | opportunity to capitalise on the potential long-term, |
| experience with these products and processes | | | | in-depth customer-supplier relationships even if you |
| increased The style of the sales people required to sell | | | | have a range of commodity products. I suspect many |
| computers changed. Now you can go to small or large | | | | opportunities for further profitable sales sit untapped in |
| retail outlets and buy a computer off-the-shelf from | | | | many businesses because misalignment with strategy, |
| retail sales people (most of who are paid much less | | | | product and sales people fit. |
| than their highly priced, exclusive predecessors). Or | | | | Knowing your market, where your products sits in |
| easier still, you can buy custom built computers online | | | | isolation and in combination, and the types of sales |
| at Dell, thus eliminating the traditional type of computer | | | | people you need to have to deliver your strategy is |
| sales person all together. | | | | critical. So as you prepare for the next Financial Year |
| Daniel Pink wrote, amongst other things, about the | | | | you may want to review the sales force you currently |
| commodisation of products and services in A Whole | | | | have and see if they will stand up and deliver what |
| New Mind and specifically how we need to look at | | | | your business needs in FY 09/10. I will talk about this |
| creating value beyond product. | | | | next time in "Creating your 'Ideal' sales team". |
| This is why more thought needs to be given to how a | | | | |