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MANAGEMENT BASICS #8:
Don’t Be Ashamed to Say,
“I’m a Salesman!”
A Company-Wide Approach to Marketing and Sales Success
BY FRED ODE
Editor's Note: Following is the eighth part of our ten part series called "Management Basics," by Fred Ode, CEO, chairman and founder
of Foundation Software. See the first seven installments on our website, www.constructionbusinessowner.com.
Overexposure to the pushy,
fast-talking, don’t take
no for an answer sales-person
tends to leave one
with an ambivalent view
on sales. Despite this negative stereotype,
I am not ashamed to admit
that I am a salesman. Since starting
my own company more than twenty
years ago, I have had to rely on and
sharpen my own sales skills and abilities.
Fortunately, I have found that
the most effective sales techniques
are vastly different from the hard-sell
approach.
Why is that good news for me?
Because as the owner of a company, I
play a major role in the sales and marketing
process. Like it or not, nearly
all my actions and all my business
decisions have some effect on my
company’s sales. But it doesn’t stop
with me. I have come to understand
how everyone in our company—from
receptionist to human resource
manager—has an underlying sales
role and the ability to “sell” our
company.
This brings me to topic #8, marketing
and sales, in my ongoing series of
“Top Ten Management Basics.” Sales
is not only an integral part of commercial
activity, it is the lifeblood
of every company. Without sales,
your company does not exist. And
without a company-wide approach to sales where every employee understands the importance
of selling, revenue growth and long-term success may be
unattainable.
Underlying Sales Opportunities
Within the company’s day-to-day business interactions,
there exists great potential for sales networking. Your
non-sales personnel communicate regularly with clients,
vendors, suppliers, subcontractors, government officials,
banks, insurance companies and others. The way they
deal with these people, the correspondence they send and
the image they portray reflects your company.
Friendly, supportive and proactive relationships
could represent future sales opportunities or referrals.
Disagreements and conflicts could dissuade potential
clients from ever doing business with your company.
Therefore, you must ask yourself, “Are my employees
communicating in a way that demonstrates dignity and
respect to everyone? Does the image they portray reflect
that of our company?”
Outside the sales force, everyone in the company
needs to become sales-oriented, at least to the point of
recognizing that their words and actions can have a real
impact on the company’s success or failure.
Attitude Makes the Difference
As a follower of Dale Carnegie’s techniques for winning
friends and influencing people, I try to emphasize putting
my best face forward with every single company contact.
That means treating people with dignity and respect,
being other-centered and a good listener. Though it may
be in the short-term interest of your business to be arrogant
and opportunistic, the long-term success of your
company will, most likely, hang in the balance.
When conflicts do arise, and you are faced with an
unhappy or disagreeable person, the natural response
is to fight back and become aggressive. The results are
usually not beneficial for either party. However, when
you take a step back and try to appreciate where that
person is coming from, you can usually “disarm” him or
her with kindness. When someone calls to complain, for
example, thank them for their call and listen to their
remarks. Although your reply may not be what they want,
the other person will leave the conversation feeling that
they have been treated respectfully and with fairness.
Understanding the Sales Process
Often, the best way to learn how to sell is to learn how to buy and negotiate through the buying
process. When you look at the sales
process from the buyer’s perspective,
you have a much better understanding
of what it takes to improve sales.
Think, for example, of what you are
looking for when making a major purchase
for your company. Do you want
to be “sold” on a product or “serviced”
by a knowledgeable salesperson? Do
you want someone to tell you what
you need, or educate you on how a
product or service can help achieve
your goal at an economical cost? And
once you make the purchase, do you
wish to be forgotten, or expect the
service that you’ve been promised?
Understanding and initiating
good sales techniques, therefore, is
essential to the long-term success of
every company. Some companies can
get by with a sales force that makes
empty promises and does anything to
bring in new business, or alienates
old clients in search of new ones. But
that can only last so long.
For a company to stand the test of
time, each and every employee must
understand their role as it relates to
sales and business relationships. A
business-wide sales and marketing
plan that emphasizes dignity and
respect rather than hard-sell tactics
is a small investment with unlimited
revenue-generating potential. So
don’t be afraid to admit it—we are all
in sales!
Fred Ode is the CEO/Chairman and Founder of
Foundation Software. Foundation Software is the
developer of Foundation for Windows. Fred can
be reached by phone at 800.246.0800, by e-mail
at fred@foundationsoft.com, or visit www.foundationsoft.com. |
