Sales and Marketing from the Trenches - The Sales Team

There seems to be a litany of sales/sports analogies out there. You know what I mean. They’re the stories of the greatest salesmen in history and how they compare to the Schumachers, Mannings and Woods of the world. So, in the shadows of the latest Super Bowl, I’m going to add one, or a litany + 1, if you will.

 
Everyone knows that sales is about money, where each sale equals so many dollars. What is professional sports about? If you said winning, well you’re partially right. From my point of view, it’s about the team consistently delivering results sponsors are willing to pay for.
 

The team is everyone needed to deliver results.

So answer me this: Did Peyton Manning win the Super Bowl or did the team? Who is the ‘team’? Does this term only apply to those who grace the field? If you were benched the entire game, are you part of the team? How about the support staff, therapists, masseuse, logistics and administration? Don't they also count as the ‘team’?

The reality of the matter is that the Colts could never have delivered the results without the entire team. The team is comprised of everyone needed to deliver results.

Sales is the same. A sales person might be the one to play on the field, but the entire team delivers results. I hear of many companies who shove their sales people out the door without any support or, even worse, the company doesn't deliver what the sales person sold. Customers are like team sponsors; they want results in one form or another and results is what they pay for.

Last month’s questions were aimed at you. This month let’s focus on the team.

• Are you a team player?
• Be honest: is your company really a team? Is everyone committed to the goal of getting results?
• What can your team do better?

Remember, no one wants to sponsor a losing team. Conversely, when your team consistently delivers great results, people will talk and customers will seek you out. It's the nature of the business.

"A sale is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer." ~ Source Unknown

Written by Ken Pettit.