The days when the typical sales manager was a figure of authority whose primary responsibility was to manage the time of salesmen are as far away as black-and-white television, carburetors and whitewall tires. No longer are salespeople forced to fend for themselves in their territories, struggling to reach quotas to keep the boss happy.
Problems of the Past
There were unfounded quotas that forced sellers to make so many cold calls, personal calls and phone calls every day. All this had to be documented with a pile of call reports that had to be run every Monday morning past the sales manager who was in desperate need to make sure the sellers were working. Of course the sellers worked as hard as they could. It was just wasted time writing call reports to be processed every Monday morning! Ah, the good old days.
Now We Know Better
On-site sales, like all other aspects of business-to-business, have undergone incredible technological, cultural and social changes in recent years. Companies that insist on clinging to outdated traditional marketing methods and marketing approaches do more harm than good for their sales and marketing efforts. Restrictive policies are a complete waste of time because they do nothing to generate sales or profits. The more salespeople stand in front of customers and prospects, the more they sell and the more they earn. A sales coaching specialist can help vendors engage with prospects and customers to develop relationships, evaluate product and service applications, and put a human footprint on the sales process.
Modern Customers Want More
What is important for the modern buyer is not whether a seller claims that his yellow widget will last longer or is more popular than the orange widget of someone else. What is important for the buyer today is the answer to a critical question: Can I trust that person to sell me the right product or service for the right application for the right price? The leads want to believe that the seller and the company he or she represents will make every effort to ensure that the purchased product or service reduces downtime, maximizes productivity and provides a fair return on investment.
