June 18 , 2009
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
A System?
Matt Nettleton
When someone says to you, “Don’t worry – I have a system,” you may roll your eyes and get ready for disaster. After all, systems are for betting on horses or getting around rules, right? Wrong – a system is an orderly measurable repeatable arrangement of elements that lead to success. As a manager you can only manage sales people if you have a selling system and it is the same selling system that your salespeople are using.
Sometimes it’s not enough to say you’re following a system when you sell. The right system is important, and your current system may have some beneficial elements, but you just can’t seem to reach the level to which you aspire. And you may not follow the same processes every time, on every call, so your “system” becomes a reactive experience that is controlled by your prospect.
Taking a systematic approach means taking control. An efficient and effective system enables you to consistently achieve a desired outcome without wasting resources. Systems allow you to duplicate successful behaviors and eliminate unsuccessful ones. You can move away from relying on “people skills,” and rely instead on a systematic approach to the sales cycle. By transferring this system to your entire sales team you can develop a higher level of accountability that comes from common language and practice.
Taking control of the sales interaction doesn’t imply an unpleasant struggle that may antagonize a prospect. By the salesperson rather than the prospect having control, both parties will have their needs met. A prospect can waste a lot of time by meeting with a salesperson who simply can’t meet his or her needs, and may feel uncomfortable being put in the position of using a salesperson for information and then having to say no. Think about the last time you avoided a phone call — sure, the caller felt rejected, but each time the call came, and each time you used whatever tactic you chose to avoid taking the call, you probably experienced negative feelings as well.
Taking control as a sales manager means that you are able to consistently debrief sales calls that you are able to hold people accountable to specific measurable actions. You are able to more accurately project revenue and more appropriately plan for the fulfillment side of your operation.
For the past ten years, Sandler Training Trustpointe has worked with more than 450 businesses in more than 125 industries to help companies develop and grow sales cultures built around common language and common practice. Interested? Maybe we should talk.
Click Here to Sign-Up for our FREE Newsletter.
Trustpointe, Inc.
6666 East 75th Street, Suite 150
Indianapolis, IN 46250
Copyright ©2009 Trustpointe, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
