Kick-Start the Sales Effort

摘要

In light of current market conditions, I'm often asked what a company should do if its sales effort has stalled. For many, this problem is not going away quickly. The sales team says it is getting as much business as possible from existing customers, while potential customers report having all the suppliers they want. What's more, when you ask Sales about growth, they shrug or laugh: You are a complete idiot who evidently doesn't read the papers. Phrases such as "Don't you know the economy is down?" or "Have you seen the market lately?" or "Fifty PCB shops closed last year" are bandied about. Perhaps you feel some sales people gleefully relay this information as justification for lack of success, as though bad news gives them the latitude to wait the downturn out; after all, there's not much else they can do. But don't let "the economy" or "down market" become substitutes for rationale. There are several things Sales can do. In fact, the best salesmen are doing them right now.