Calling ALL CEO's - Get In The Sales Game - It's Your Job!

A CEO approves executive-level decisions and oversees the company’s entire operations, right? Despite all these responsibilities, should a CEO bother to spend extra time to improve the company’s sales processes and strategies?

Yes!

A CEO who knows how to run a successful business, understands that the company’s survival relies on this.

So what is a CEO supposed to teach the Sales team? What changes can he make to help them double last year’s profits or at least vastly increase sales revenue?

Train them to sell in tough times. The financial crisis of 2008 has seriously affected the purchasing power of consumers. Out dated sales tactics won’t work anymore because everyone is giving a discount and consumers are aware that there are brands offering the same products and services.
So instead of memorizing sales pitches, reps must be trained to focus on the customer. They should listen closely to figure out the customer’s needs, wants, fears, goals, and dreams. Remember, anything connected to an emotion can be used as a leverage to make a sale!

Train supervisors and managers to ask specific questions during a coaching session. Ideally, sales reps must have a coaching session with their direct supervisor at least once a week. This could help them improve, but only if it’s done properly. For one, supervisors should ask specific questions about the sales representative’s activity. Questions like, “How did it go?” or “Did you make a sale?” doesn’t reveal much about their areas for improvement.
Ask questions like, “What’s your opening line?”, “How did you handle the customer’s objection of…?” instead.

Teach employees outside of the sales team to help with the company’s marketing and lead-generation. The company’s admin staff, support team, and HR team also have connections to possible clients. The problem is they are not trained to sell, or even ask for referrals. Those untapped leads are thousands of potential sales lost!
If you want to know how to run a successful business, you’ll need to learn how to think outside the box. For starters, employees not in the sales division should be trained how to ask for specific referrals, like asking for an introduction with a person from a specific organization or position instead of a general, “Do you know someone who might be interested in product X?

Change the sales system, so that a customer’s lifetime value isn’t over one-off transactions. Train sales reps to avoid selling the most expensive product when it clearly doesn’t match the buyer’s needs. Don’t force a customer to buy a new product, when what they have is still covered by a warranty.

Lastly, and most importantly, devise a sales system where the needs and opinions of the customers are heard. Sure, your company has great products and services, but what if your customers can improve what you are offering?
They are the ones using the products, so it’s only natural for them to have some suggestions. Before the next product launch, ask customers:

• What they want
• What they don’t like
• What they want to see more

Listening to customer’s opinions is important in learning how to run a successful business. Aside from getting dozens of ideas on what to sell and improve about your products, it also drives customer engagement! Use it well.

2013 Incedo Group, LLC