Articles 

ACCOUNTABILITY
Part 1: The Customer
Part 2: Management
Part 3: Sales

PART 3      -      Sales

In Parts 1 and 2 of this Accountability series, I talked about the need for holding a customer accountable as it affects your service delivery to them, and accountability as a company head, executive or manager of all operations. Here in Part 3, I will examine one of the favorite all-time punching bags in an organization…the sales role.

Don’t Get Me Started on Salespeople!

Well the business world is fraught with stories about ‘that salesperson’. Sales gets blamed for this, and sales gets blamed for that. They make too much money and don’t carry the load! They are all loose cannons! Is some of this earned? Sure. But years in sales have allowed me to clearly identify the one force that either enabled sales problems or curtailed them - Management. Sales IS the arm of the company that pays everyone, and let’s NEVER forget that. So there generally seems to be a good deal of management reluctance to discipline or limit most of sales, and certainly the top performers. Management is and should be accountable for sales. But let’s not pass the buck. Sales should be accountable for sales!

Back office folks, administration, the support people and other managers often see sales as a wild card, a demanding, inconsiderate, sometimes non-productive, insincere and arrogant group. There is often a lack of communication from sales to headquarters about what has been promised to a new customer, resulting in extra work and impossible ‘customized’ demands for your organization to support.

Just for a Moment, Stand in Their Shoes

Before I get into tips, steps and solutions, I would like to defend my own kind. Agreed, there are salespeople who stand out as incompetent, and there are those who stand out for their excellence all around. I might even suggest that the ‘good to bad’ ratio is the same in departments! It’s just that salespeople are much more visible, given of the critical nature of what they do. Kind of like doctors! And like doctors there is less forgiveness for errors. On top of that, they can make a good deal more money than everyone else. Sales can be a tough, unforgiving job, the hours grueling, the pressures never ending, and the glory short-lived. Additionally, the downturns and potential for loss of business is constant.

Pat on the Back for Sales (wink-wink)

Another interesting ‘window’ to the subject is the duplicity with which management views sales. They are often well aware of the angst created when impossible promises are made ‘to get the sale’, and may even ‘express concern’. The flip side is that management is paying sales to make their quotas, and in many cases they secretly don’t care how they do it, unfortunately, at the expense of the back office folks, and possibly corrupting service delivery standards. But salespeople, again the most visible, and seemingly most logical scapegoats, get the brunt of the blame, when in fact they are doing precisely what they are hired and getting paid for. The focus here however, is accountability. The smartest salesperson really knows that in their heart of hearts.

The Smart Holistic Salesperson

Thinking about best outcomes, a seasoned, wise sales rep follows a three dimensional strategy. Instead of directing energy one way, only to win business from a customer, an insightful sales mind thinks about all the elements: the service offering, realistic service level agreements (SLA’s), deployment issues and challenges, engineering and technical support, demands upon customer service, long range client satisfaction, client retention and last but not least, the respect and dedication of multiple back office teams.

Paramount to closing a piece of business, particularly in the service world, is the inclusion (not exclusion!) and input from all who would be delivering service to the future customer. The well-tuned sales rep will keep all critical parties informed, and get valuable feedback on creative realistic ways to deliver customized service. The price tag of ignoring these facts? Loss of a hard-won client at the end of a contract.

Grab the Bull by the Horns – Proactive Problem Solving

In large organizations groups that can often lock horns with sales are customer support and administrative support for an account. Although it is tempting in sales to avoid a problem, ‘just blunder ahead’, make an end run around the problem to management, or just complain in futility (an all-time favorite for most people), the very gesture of taking accountability for this very problem can have unlimited payback.

For example, If there are consistent snags in customer service delivery for a particular customer, the positive alternative to getting ‘hot’ about it, or complaining to the wrong people, is to arrange lunch off site in a neutral setting with the customer service reps themselves…not their supervisor. Most salespeople choosing to ‘attack the problem’ might be tempted here to go to the supervisor. Gee let’s think about this: someone complains to my boss about me not to my face. How included do I feel about participating in the solution now? Not. Be upfront. Be direct. So… your strategy here would be to talk over options for the goal of arriving at a solution, and the tactic for achieving this is to invite the rep(s) to lunch.

Oh and by the way…you as a salesperson need to leave yourself open to the possibility (gasp!) that the problem may actually start are your end…or perhaps in part. But regardless of blame…regardless…you will win BIG points for now and for the future for a) taking accountability b) initiating a democratic discussion c) inviting input with respect and an open mind d) rolling up your sleeves and offering to help build the solution.

Two great things happen here that weren’t part of the ‘main goal’ to solve the problem. These are more like ongoing ‘operational goals’.

1. Honoring good service delivery
2. Fostering good internal relations with colleagues

Build and Reinforce Your Bridges, Don’t Burn Them

Mankind thrives best working in cooperative teams to maintain civilization. For that same reason, salespeople, especially those selling services, a much more complex sale than just selling products, must rely on layers of people in the background, for smooth delivery of service. Compromising these internal relationships repeatedly, by promising the impossible to customers, or pushing unrealistic limits is a bad bet. It leaves a support team mistrustful, exhausted and cynical. More than that, word spreads fast at the home office. A bad reputation for being a loose cannon with little regard for anything but making quota, will seriously inhibit getting support for a piece of business in the future. Taking care of your account and support team is insurance for a better win, a happier team and long term customer satisfaction.

© Kristin Linder

Contact Information

theLINDERgroup

Radnor, PA

info@thelindergroup.com, www.thelindergroup.com

610.825.8939

contact us...

Part 1:  The Customer

Part 2:  Management  

Back to top...