Implementing a Sales Culture within the EAP - Part 2

1/1/2012 10:06:00 PM

As discussed in our previous article, selling can no longer be the function of one person or one department, all individual business functions need to support the company mission by embedding a sales culture within your organization. In summary, it is about creating a sales culture that permeates every layer and aspect of the business operation--from product development to customer service. We looked at two of these function in Part 1 of this article; the following are the remaining five functions.

• Proposals: Understanding prospects' specific needs and tailoring your proposal responses to address those needs is sure to set you apart. The proposal must incorporate your specific knowledge and experience in working with the potential client's industry. There's no better source of information than a professional who has devoted time and resources to determine exactly what these needs are.
• Pricing: The objective here is to set pricing that will meet the demands of the marketplace while also ensuring that the company realizes a profit. To make sure the numbers work, the pricing or underwriting function will account for all expenses--from product development to marketing to sales. Underwriting then communicates those details to explain ranges and price points. These numbers provide guidelines that assist in any pricing negotiations with individual customers.
• Lead Generation: It is common for organizations to assume that generation of sales leads simply happens and so they do not assign resources or define a process. While companies can select any number of ways to handle lead generation--outsourcing to telemarketers, purchasing lists of qualified leads or conducting cold calling in-house--the truth is that lead generation is everyone's responsibility. All functions need to have a firm understanding of the company's target market to ensure that leads are qualified.
• Sales: At its most basic level, sales means making contacts and following up. Of course, there are numerous steps in this process. The important question is to determine--how will you bring new customers to your organization if the sales function is not functioning? Any organization would be wise to understand sales as it relates to the other entities within the business development cycle and to ensure collaboration among all the functions.
• Account Management/Customer Service: This function carries out the process of keeping customer satisfied while simultaneously upselling customers. Because they continue to service accounts after the intial sale is closed, they are the best source of client feedback and that can be passed onto other team members or other areas within the organization. Positive feedback can be turned into testimonials that can be used in sales kits or be printed in a trade publication. Negative feedback can actually be constructive and used to make changes in the next product release.

Sales Culture as an Organizational Objective

To develop a sales culture as an organization objective, companies need to assess current processes, identify areas for improvement, and implement a strategic business process. This course of action can be challenging--it requires that management be open to feedback on long-standing procedures and in which they may be personally vested.

However, change should be viewed as an opportunity not a threat. Objectivity is the key to ensure that any changes are smooth and seamless. The payoff is that infusing a sales culture across your organization can keep the sales pipeline filled, shorten the sales cycle, and increase revenue.

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By Shelley K. Plemons

Employee Assistance Report