Who Are Non-Salespeople And Why Do They Matter?
In the last few weeks, we’ve been working on the launch of an online program called The Accidental Salesperson. The reason we’re launching this is that we find more and more non-sales people are being asked to sell, negotiate, communicate and manage relationships that already exist.
In many ways, these people below can be THE most powerful people in the company because they are the talent that does the work…rather than merely sell the work.
You’ve heard the axiom, “It costs a lot less to sell to a current customer than it does to bring in a new customer?” Yet, when we looked around, we saw very little attention (skill training) for that group.
Who Is The Accidental Sales Person?
Here is a list of the types of occupations and functions that might qualify for ‘accidental’ status. Obviously, every company is different, however when you read the list, you’ll see some titles that will fall into that category nicely.
1. Entreprenuers.
They sell to bankers, and other vendors, as well as they are put into sales scenarios, infrequently. They need to have a method of communicating value, which they do all of the time.
2. Professional Services (Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers).
They didn’t use to need training in this realm, but they now do. They are all graded not just on the technical skills but also on their Business Development Skills. “You don’t bring in business, you might not make partner.”
3. Field Service People.
In many ways, these are the most important, customer-facing people in the company. They are the problem finders and solvers.
4. Account Managers.
These are the people that take care of the accounts once they’ve been sold. They are the ones that can sniff out new opportunities and are positioned perfectly to communicate value to customers. Also applies to Customer Service or Inside Sales People.
5. Project Managers.
Again, these people oversee projects and have the best customer relationships. In many ways, they “live” with the customers so have the best perspective on other products or services that might be valuable for customers.
6. VP Sales/Sales Managers.
In many companies these people have been out of sales for long enough that they need to have skills available for when they are in the battle.
7. General Managers.
In many ways, these people are operational-they oversee the big picture of business- yet frequently, they are the ones asked to go on sales call and negotiate larger deals. They MUST have skills that allow them to negotiate and sell from a position of strength.
By the way, if you see yourself in any area above, and feel like you need to brush up on your skills, I invite you to watch the training videos at www.accidentalsalespersoncourse.com. Of course, they’re free and you’ll learn how to rethink your role.
