Sell me a sandwich
Jeff Mount
Do NOT hire a sales manager! Instead, we can help mid-sized companies grow via outsourced Sales Management using the SalesQB system.
When interviewing salespeople the best way to evaluate their skillset is to remove them from the comfort of a predictable environment and ask them to sell something that is low tech and not flashy. Take this person to lunch and ask them to sell you a sandwich. Odds are good they will recommend the best-selling, tastiest sandwich on the menu to appeal to your tastebuds. Every good sales method begins with a process. Steps should never be skipped!
"Begin with the end in mind, and work backwards." These words were uttered by Steve Jobs while facing his engineers in a town hall meeting. The engineers lamented that the number of tools they had were sufficient to create products that could go to market. However, Steve Jobs reminded them that his job was not to build products that may or may not have consumer interest but it was to sell more of a product than anyone ever before. Identify the consumer need and work backwards. Let's try this with a sandwich.
The salesperson should begin with a discovery process.
Let's diagnose what could leave the prospect disappointed, or what disappointed them in the past when trying new lunch options.
Once we know what to avoid and apply the important data uncovered in the discovery process, we can begin building the best sandwich for this person. By the way, we might end up discovering they want a salad!
Once we have designed the ideal sandwich, it is important to weigh in on the outcome. Sometimes, that roast beef has very little flavor. It might need some salt to enhance it. Sometimes, that chicken parm sandwich is too messy. It might need less sauce.
Why is this relevant to doing business today? SaaS companies can't wait to show you their demo! In fact, they often show it so soon they forget to ask the questions that identify the need by the consumer. Financial advisors can't wait to do that great big financial plan to show how smart they are and to have the proverbial "objective output" as their crutch to take an order. In both cases, they needed to start with the end client experience in mind and work backwards. Every industry is loaded with salespeople who feel so pressured to close sales by management, they wind up skipping the necessary steps to a GOOD sale.
Building a sales process that tackles these challenges is actually more important than spending extra capital on "the best" salespeople. A great process that is executed by average salespeople will lead to good results. Ready to explore the possibilities?
Sales process innovation is at the heart of what we do here at Caddis. To learn more about the growth opportunities we support, visit our website at www.caddis.biz.