A while ago I blogged about why I don't believe salespeople are the answer any more... I've changed my mind.
Earlier this year we helped a client find the perfect Sales Director. I won't embarrass anyone by naming names, but suffice to say that Leads were not the company's issue - but sales process and good internal resource to qualify and close leads were.
Having found the right person, helped with a sales process, we then engage again, now because in order to grow the client needs larger clients, and they cannot be found through a google adword campaign... unless they are searching for you of course.
Suffice to say, we did what we do well:
- Researched the market.
- Identified 80 companies who fitted the client's criteria of a desirable customer.
- Targeted the CEO of each company.
- Wrote a really great sales letter.
- Mailed the first 20.
If any of you have done this before, you'll be as shocked as we were at what happened next.
One letter made its way through the internal mail of a large company to the Head of Digital (well done all those unrecognised PA's out there), and the gentleman concerned rang back... asking for a demonstration of the software in question.
A full global tender is now underway and our client should win the work (fingers crossed).
We have now actually followed up the remaining letters, mailed the rest, and are now feeding the sales team at our client with new sales leads.
My point? The Sales Director at this client is NOT a deal opener, they are not persistent or brilliant on the phone in starting new relationships, but are superb and beautifully diligent at closing deals.
If you know anything about sales and salespeople you will see this all the time. And the moral?
ONLY do what you are good at.
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