Are You in Sales?

Yes, we're "all in sales", but I'm referring to a career that has defined metrics. You sell, you survive. You don't sell, your commission is affected. You park your laptop on a desk in the “sales department” kind of sales. You have numbers you need to hit this quarter, kind of sales. You eat what you kill, kind of sales.

It's one thing for your performance to be measured by how you do your job. It's much different to be judged by the actual money you actually bring in the actual door. Sales is the transference of trust, so you must build strong relationships. Sales can be a grind and not for those with delicate digestive tracts.

To anyone in sales – you have my gratitude and respect.
To anyone not in sales – try it for one day.
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The Endless Supply Chain

My passion is to help leaders become better leaders, companies to be more collaborative, and guide the communications process that loosens the boardroom constraints. But I've been thinking a lot about the sales process lately.

Yes, we're "all in sales", but I'm referring to a career that has defined metrics. You sell, you survive. You don't sell, your commission is affected. You park your laptop on a desk in the “sales department” kind of sales. You have numbers you need to hit this quarter, kind of sales. You eat what you kill, kind of sales. Your job is business development aka revenue, kind of sales.

Is it all about the numbers?

I believe we are all in the supply chain and we are all part of the sales process but this is the actual department that is saddled with bringing in the actual money. The support system is the rest of the organization because sales as we all know does not begin or end with the invoice.

If your function is overseeing a sales organization - put the spreadsheets down and help your people with the people part.  Leadership and culture drive the behavior that will improve your corporate heath. So for just one week don't mention numbers. I know that sounds counterproductive but try it for one week. Focus on people, relationships, passion, solutions, and see what happens.

To anyone in sales – you have my gratitude and respect.  
To anyone who doesn't think they are in sales – look again.

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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

istock

Are You In Sales?

Purpose meets Price

My passion is to help leaders become better leaders, companies to be more collaborative, and guide the communications process that loosens the boardroom constraints. But I've been thinking a lot about the sales process lately.

One of my clients has me helping with one of their revenue generating initiatives which is not a role I regularly play. Leadership and business development is necessary across the enterprise but there are much more talented people than me to help with sales.

Wares meet Humans

Yes, we're "all in sales", but I'm referring to a career that has defined metrics. You sell, you survive. You don't sell, your commission is affected. You park your laptop on a desk in the “sales department” kind of sales. You have numbers you need to hit this quarter, kind of sales. You eat what you kill, kind of sales.

I have worked with and around sales people my entire career. I have consulted them, worked on presentations with them, gone on sales calls with them, but I've never had to sit in an office and be a sales person full-time, work the phones, make the connections and sell the offering.

It's one thing for your performance to be measured by how you do your job. It's much different to be judged by the actual money you actually bring in the actual door. Sales is the transference of trust, so you must build strong relationships. Sales can be a grind and not for those with delicate digestive tracts.

To anyone in sales – you have my gratitude and respect. 

To anyone not in sales – try it for a day.

Kneale Mann

image: selltest

Can I Help You?

Just looking, thanks.

You barely get your big toe across the threshold of the front door and Chippy Chipperton is all over you like a blanket of annoyance. One thing is clear, Chip is on commission and his manager has pummeled the up sell into his cerebellar cortex. You avoid eye contact and hurriedly say “No thanks, just looking.”




Do You have it in blue?

Then you really need help, you like the shirt but can't find your size. You don’t want to call the Chipster back, you just want the shirt not the sales pitch. Ultimately you walk out with the decision to do without the shirt avoiding more time spent with the over attentive sales dude.

Is it lunchtime yet?

It’s one of those days where you wonder why you’re on the verge of passing out. You then realize that it’s 3pm and all you’ve eaten that day is a chocolate chip cookie at your 10am meeting. You sit at your desk in a haze wondering if anything you said made any sense to anyone. Blood sugar levels need attention.

Anything will do.

So you grab your keys and head to the closest drive-thru’. Guilt is overwritten by need and anything to keep the wolf from the door will do. Then you are met with the barely breathing attendant at the other end of the speaker who can hardly muster the energy to lob your burger combo into the bag. Your happiness is not a concern.

The cheese is missing, they added extra pickle when you asked three times for none and you don’t even like root beer. But you gag down your late afternoon feast and try to forget the ordeal as quickly as possible. Your day ends without that new shirt and a delightful case of heartburn.

Which outlet is giving great customer service?

Chippy doesn’t care about solving your pain, he just wants to make his numbers and our friend at the burger palace is simply putting in time – the similarities between what you ordered and what you get are strictly coincidental.

Are these two places common or rare? How could each improve during our tight economic times? Are you working in either environment?

@knealemann