Continuation of the Bob London of London, Ink “Customer Rant” posts, see previous posts for more information and the slide share of the presentation.
Springboard Prospect Rant #2– I can’t keep a SALES Person
Typically when a prospect finds us it’s because they’ve tried the traditional route and it just isn’t working for them. They’ve hired 2-3 sales people over the last couple of years and they have either left or failed. The issue may be the hire, or it may be in the process, the management of the sales person or in management altogether. Here’s what we typically see:
- They hire the person based off how they interview and their resume, not qualifications or references – interviews and resumes aren’t always 100% accurate
- They hire the person who has spent their entire career doing something other than sales and yet expects them to be closing deals in 2 months – this is a person who requires training and mentoring
- They hire family or friends where the challenge becomes accountability, how do you tell your child, your friend that they aren’t living up to expectations? This can be an excellent idea but it can also have damaging consequences.
- They hire without plans for tools, expenses or process of accountability. Tools – tracking, Customer Relationship Management, communication. Expenses: mileage, phone, lunches, events, memberships, etc. Accountability – who, what, when, how?
- They want the professional who comes with a rolodex, who is on a first name basis with decision makers, who can shorten the time it takes to get in the door, who can frame them as experts in their field, who has a process for management and follow up and who can ask and have answered some challenging questions. This can be an excellent hire and it can also backfire. Former executive levels at times can fall into the trap of schmoozing with little follow up and execution – if you think about it, it makes perfect sense; they always had someone else to do it for them. This would be a great person to partner with an in house program manager or business development manager.
Essentially what we end up seeing is the person who should be producing but isn’t getting a very long leash costing the company far more than it should or the newer professional who needs in depth training, mentoring and time expected to perform like a pro immediately. Sometimes it’s the hire, sometimes it’s the training, sometimes it’s the expectations.
