In the years prior to the global financial crisis, too many salespeople across the world had unconsciously fallen into the habit of becoming order takers. In other words, many sectors of business were so good their products and services sold themselves.
But no longer. The competitive environment in the new global economy is cutthroat, and it's the sales force – not the product itself – that will differentiate one competitor from another.
Clearly, not all businesses have adjusted to the times. Maybe they're not capable of adjusting. In Sales: A Strategic Boardroom Issue, we see that businesses can become too focused on sales numbers rather than the capabilities of their sales force that produces the numbers. The reason cited in the article for this: "Most CEO's have little or no sales experience. Consequently, they tend to think of sales as... a 'black box'." It would appear these senior executives have little idea how sales works. So they simply set goals and demand improved sales, with no thought put into how to improve sales. The most indicting line: "Sales effectiveness is typically not seen as a competitive advantage worthy of executive attention."
But in today's market, your competitive advantage is your sales effectiveness. The article cites that sales effectiveness accounts for 39% of customers' buying decisions!
If your salespeople are as important to the buying decision as the product itself, then it's time management embraced sales effectiveness, shunned the 'black box' view and invested in their sales force via ongoing sales training, coaching, tools and support.