Prior to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) many salespeople didn't have to work too hard or too smart to be successful in their roles.

Based on a combination of the strength of the Products/Services they were selling and a buoyant economy, Selling was relatively simple.

Banjar has observed many so-called 'salespeople' who, in reality, operate more as 'order takers'. From our observations an order taker might have a good customer-service skills and represent their organisation professionally, however, they lack the ability to develop a more sophisticated understanding of their customers and struggle to develop a strategic or tactical approach to Selling.

In what is expected to be an increasingly competitive global marketplace, organisations will need to distinguish between genuine salespeople and 'order takers'. 

Organisations struggling to improve Sales Results often invest in ‘quick-fix’ solutions such as ad-hoc marketing campaigns, price discounts or one-off incentives for sales people.

Such strategies typically result in a short-term ‘spike’ in sales at best, and often make no significant long-term difference.  

‘Quick-fix’ solutions can also divert attention and resources away from a more systematic investment in Sales.

It is therefore imperative that time is allocated to researching and strategically planning for appropriate solutions to Sales problems. Solutions that have a long-term application and a solid foundation in the values of your company.

Although traditional organisations may recognise the importance of the Sales Function, and seek to increase sales by paying it due attention, many organisations focus on the wrong elements of the Sales Process when managing staff. The most obvious areas for an organisation to focus on are Sales Activity and Sales Results. An excessive focus on Sales Results is akin to management by fear.

“If you don't hit your Sales targets there will be consequences!”

An unbalanced focus on Sales Activity is akin to management by pressure.

“Just get out there and sell, make appointments, get on the phone and 'cold call'”

Whether they intend to or not, Sales Managers who focus too strongly on Activity and Results create environments where there is a lack of trust and uncertainty about the future.

The tables outlines the consequences of inappropriate focus and management.

Good salespeople are increasingly difficult to identify and recruit using traditional methods.

Although the importance of good salespeople has always been recognised, the methods used to identify, recruit and develop salespeople in the future will need to be increasingly innovative. The traditional approach has often involved recruiting successful salespeople from direct competitors or from other non-competing industries.

We believe that, in the future, organisations will need to find Sales talent from currently untapped sources.

Many salespeople in the future will not see themselves as pursuing a career in Sales. They will, however, possess the skills, capabilities and attitude required for Sales success in the right organisation.

Organisations need to understand what qualities and capabilities are required by staff involved in their sales process and, in turn, they must develop the mechanisms to identify, attract and develop these people.

The challenge is so great that even us, Banjar Group, have taken up the fight – to find and place exceptional sales professionals. Natural Selection is our way of identifying and recruiting exceptional sales people for our clients.

Check out Natural Selection: www.banjargroup.com.au/natural-selection-recruitment

Sales and selling is an essential department in any business.

In order to be an effective Sales organisation there needs to be broad recognition throughout the business about the importance of Sales.

This recognition needs to come not only from the Executive levels but also from other functional areas of the business. In businesses where Sales teams are resented or unfairly criticised, an unintended culture can emerge where Selling becomes unappreciated and even subtly discouraged. Organisations that are highly effective in Selling, pride themselves on being a 'Sales- driven' organisation and the culture of the organisation is indicative of this focus.

Without an effective Sales Mechanism, a commercial B2B organisation will fail.

Regardless of how well an organisation embraces innovative technology, lean- manufacturing principles, supply chain optimisation, leader-full cultures or astute financial management principles - Sales remains the key to generating revenue.

A successful Sales Function is the vital platform on which other areas of organisational excellence can be built. 

It's ground breaking insight on modern leadership. 

This is a man gone beyond religion, roads and real estate. He understands his Common Goal and Vision. He clearly understands his 'WHY' (see Simon Sinek). His purpose is clear to all. He does what he has to do.

Take note of Kevin Robert's words here on Pope Francis. 
http://krconnect.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/deciphering-popularity-of-pope-francis.html

This is an example of superior brand performance. Rallying followers and 'his tribe' to a current cause, belief, action.

Most of all, it's totally inspiring and in this VUCA world we so need inspirational leaders.

Mike

Who is going to do the selling in 2020?

A dollar for every time this question has been asked of me would see me afford to travel with Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic!

Organisations with sound B2B Sales Capability will lead the way. They will have fewer dedicated Sales staff but the number of people in the business contributing to sales has increased.

In future business leads will come from many levels; production, distribution, even accounts. Through employees that don’t see themselves in ‘sales’. Prospective and existing clients are developing a greater appreciation for the broad expertise of staff and value their understanding of client needs. As the universe shrinks we need all our team to be in a position to assist anyone when they enquire about our product or service. We need all team members ‘sales savvy’.

With this in mind, the spread of information across a company must not stop at sales. We are seeing the organisations with continued and consistent growth have a workforce that has an intimate understanding of the Strategic and Opertaional priorities of the buisness.

So rather than trying to impress prospective clients with brochures or demonstrated technical capabilities, there is a focus on understanding the clients critical challenges and helping to solve problems. Providing 'deep value' and business insight are characteristics of a successful Sales approach.

So share the love and spread the word!

Make sure everyone in your organisation has the knowledge, understanding and permission to promote your business.

Well if it isn't you're in big trouble!

I was reading a Zig Ziglar article the other day and this point jumped out at me. How true I thought.

More and more we are seeing managers and business owners pulling their hair out, frustrated at their staff going in different directions and missing their targets.

Good business starts on the inside. Your team must believe in you and what you are trying to achieve. 

“The belief in the value of what you do or sell has to be so strong that everyone who comes in contact with a customer exudes confidence in the company and the product”.

When this is the case everyone is prepared to pitch in.

If your team is not on your team – STOP!  Step back and take 5 minutes to reset for yourself the goals for your business. Detail it out in a One Page Plan: the Now – Where – How.

Share this with your team and work together to plan the route to get there. Then set them free on meeting the needs of your customers through your product or service.

Boiler

I was reminded this week of a program I ran in Ballarat several years ago. With a Mindshop colleague we ran a Mindshop Excellence program with a group of senior high school students.
   
What we experienced was nothing short of amazing and a reminder that anything is possible if you give someone a chance. Here are my colleagues recollections....

"…. I witnessed the most amazing person at our last program in Ballarat. Mike Boyle and I arrived on Monday to tackle 4 groups in the one training session. Nothing special here except one of the students was a 15 year old girl. She was profoundly deaf and unable to communicate verbally. I was terrified – how can you possibly train someone with this challenge in just a few hours, in a boisterous group, without setting her up to fail. I wanted to go home but being afraid of the Boiler did not. Well picture the scene. Here we are promising these kids that they have the talent to do anything, given the chance, and all they need is belief in themselves and a few tools.  The student had a signing translator who tried hard to keep up with the Boiler and me, always a challenge as we had a room full of evolving young adults.  

Mike and I watched this girl participate in the group dynamics and we both came to the same conclusion. She was a born leader. She just could not hear or speak.  This student neither needed, wanted nor would accept any special treatment. So with my usual stern face I announced to the group that everyone would be presenting on Friday, no notes, the usual drill.  This always gets their attention. That was it for me. I made a quick visit on Tuesday morning and then did not see the group again until Friday morning for presentation practice. An added challenge was that the group had been told by a much nicer person than me, that they could present with notes. I said no way to this and told them to get up and practice. I was really worried about how to include her – their problem of course, not mine. But what would I do if they had not included her?  I was hoping that she would be changing slides, holding up a chart, pointing to something.  Well they lined up and began. Looked good as each got up to present. Then she stood up and presented. Sign language in front of PowerPoint slides. I have never seen such passion, excitement and enthusiasm in a presentation. She got her message across better than any of the speaking speakers.  She knew the tools, presented insightful comments and passionately made forceful points, all with her hands and body language. 

She was the best presenter of the group. Mindshop Excellence had given this girl the chance to show the world, in this case a room full of senior executives, what she could do given a chance.  There was only one problem. Her signing translator was repeating what she was signing “saying” in a monotone. The practice round was stopped and the translator charged with expressing the passion and the excitement, not just the words. I found coaching the translator was a lot more difficult than the young presenters. Signers “don’t do the passion”.  However after a little persuasion she came good and at the final presentation I was not the only person who had a tear in their eye. The student was magnificent. Her mother came to me crying and begged me to thank Mindshop for giving her daughter the chance to be what she can be. 

I wonder how many other 'overlooked stars' there are in your part of the world, young adults full of talent that may never be realised unless someone gives them a chance. Life is short. There really is more to life than the next dollar. Your VTO could change someone’s life forever. Maybe even yours."

http://www.mindshopexcellence.com/

While in Brisbane this week, I met with an old friend that leads up a division of a major bank.

“How’s business?” I asked.
“Tough,” he replied. “We're being asked to sell, sell, sell Mike,” he quipped. 
So I asked how that was going.
“Not well,” he replied. “Nobody knows how to do it and we’ve had no training!”

He has since approached corporate HQ in Sydney and been told ‘No budget’ for training in sales.

To use an AFL football analogy, it’s like asking the Brisbane Lions to run out, Round 1 in the 2012 season with absolutely no preparation, coaching or development. Chances of winning – Zero!

Why is it these large corporate goliaths from the relative safety of corporate HQ and their mechanical spreadsheets, still refuse to acknowledge that ‘skills’, like selling, are not innate in humans? Especially bankers!

Boiler