Keep it Simple and Easy
I had planned to discuss how the sales process really didn’t need to be all that complicated. By keeping it simple and repeatable you can build a very successful sales team.
But as I began writing the article, I began to realize that while simple is exactly what we need to help ourselves as sales and account managers with the sales process, we must never forget to keep the process simple and easy for the customer.
I was talking last week with one of our managers and he told me that one of his long time customer’s had commented about us not being as easy to do business with as we used to be.
This is one of my fears that in our attempts to be efficient, accurate and striving for perfection that we may at times forget how the customer is affected. How many times do we put processes in place with little regard to the customer’s experience?
Take for instance the signature capture machines at most checkout stands. Please realize that I am not much of a shopper and I try to pay with cash when possible. So this may be more of a rant than a good example but for me I hate those machines.
First of all, when is the best time to swipe the card? I usually wait until the cashier looks at me disapprovingly and tells me to go ahead and swipe my card. Then I have to figure out which way to turn the card. I usually hear “try it again”.
Next, I have to try to read the small scratched up screen and check on the correct box. Why couldn’t they say the same thing? One place you are asked to check “yes” if everything is correct other place it’s “no” I don’t need anything else.
Maybe then I get to the signature box. I know there is no way what I scribble in the box resembles my signature. Have you ever noticed there is not an eraser on those pens?
Many times, the cashier will ask to see the card and type in a couple of numbers from the front or back of the card.
So why do I have to go through all the hassle with the little box with the scratched up screen answering questions, if the cashier is going to ask for my card anyway?
I’m sure there is a legitimate reason for the machines. Capturing my signature electronically is a reasonable expectation but if you’re going to ask to see my card don’t put me through all the other hassles. Heck, I had to sign one of those machines the other day when I paid cash. I wonder who added that process.
I know this was a silly example but please begin to review “your” processes and customer touch points and ask yourself “Is this simple and easy for the customer?”
Maybe better yet, “Is this process even needed at all?”
Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you have any examples of processes that makes buying harder for you than it needs to be, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Who is your Ideal Customer?
Tell me “What does your ideal Customer look like?”
I’m not asking about their physical appearance but what characteristics do you think your customers should have that would make them a perfect customer. I have asked Account Managers this question many times and I usually get many of the same answers:
* Buys/needs what I have to sell
* Wants to be a partner
* Pays on time
* Respects my knowledge
I can’t disagree that these are all very important but I think as Sales and Account Manager’s we must dig much deeper to really find our ideal customers.
Our Marketing efforts will or should have identified the “Ideal Customers” by industries, segments and products that are most likely to be profitable.
Operations should be in place to provide the needed support and have the inventory and logistics to handle your sales.
The Credit Department will have analyzed the credit risk’s involved and be knowledgable with terms and conditions within each industry.
Now it is up to us to go out and make the sell. Whether you are a seasoned salesperson or just starting your career, you must be able to identify the “customers” or “customer types” that will make you most successful.
You can Google “Who’s your Ideal Customer” and find many resources and processes to help in your search. One of the most popular and logical I’ve seen and used is to make a list of all your customers. Then arrange them in some order. You can use your own benchmarks but most common are:
* Revenue (Sales or Gross Margin)
* Longevity as a customer
* Partner-ability
* Willingness to be a reference
Then you compare each customer to the criteria selected to help identify your best or ideal customers.
This will give you a good idea of customers that are most likely to be the most successful accounts. But I think if you stop here you will be missing maybe the most important aspect of “your” Ideal Customer.
When making a list like above, many times it will miss the intangibles or things that you just can’t easily benchmark.
I hope we all agree that the Account Manager’s ability to build strong and lasting relationships with customer’s is essential to everyones success.
So when I ask the question “Who’s your Ideal Customer?” what I’m really wanting to find out is who’s that customer that makes you love what you do. Which customer or customers are you most likely to go the extra mile for and always looking for ways to over-deliver. Who’s the customer that you are eager to go in early to see and don’t mind staying late to take care of. These will probably be the customers you will also consider friends and not just customers.
Let’s go through the same process as above but with a different benchmark that only you can know:
Make a list of all your customers using the criteria in the paragraph above and arrange them in order of those you’re always eager to call on first and those that you always find a reason to avoid last.
Now compare this list to the first list. I think you will see many similarities. I’m sure you will find that many of your customers will be in the same order as above. Your ideal customers from an analytical approach will be much the same as you personal list.
Here is where I tend to differ from the many articles that you may read.
I think that as Sales and Account Managers our ideal customers will be the the customers that we can most closely relate to on some personal level. I know this is too much of a general statement and does not always hold true but with the exception of possibly revenue, the analytical benchmarks used above may have as much to do with relationships with the Company and Account Managers as anything else.
If you can identify the things that are most common in “your” best customers list, you will be much more likely to be successful as you grow your business. You will be adding customers with the same characteristics that you are most passionate about and most willing to give your all.
I have struggled for several weeks with how best to write this article. I know it may lack in order and flow but I had to attempt to get my thoughts out as best as possible. I think the reason I’ve struggled the past few weeks with this topic is that these are the topics that we as Sales Managers find most difficult to teach.
How do we teach our Salespeople the importance of loving what they do?
Can we show our Account Managers that being passionate in all they do and willing to give their “all” is really the secret to being successful in anything they pursue.
And insisting that they are always trying to exceed their customer expectations.
Sales processes can easily be taught, best practices and sales tips learned but it’s the intangibles that helps us find our “Ideal Customer and Customers”.
Thank you for taking time to read this post. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Nothing Happens until the Customer Says
Nothing happens until you sell something!
While I believe this statement is true, it is a somewhat selfish view. As a Sales Manager I would like to believe that without sales, business as we know it would cease to exist and the epicenter of every company should revolve around the Sales Team and Salespeople. But I have learned that while sales are extremely important the truth is:
Nothing happens until the Customer says it happens.
No matter how good your products or how creative your marketing department or even how great your sales team, if your customers are not willing to buy, nothing else matters.
But you might remember from the last post that I said “Everything Matters” which I firmly believe but not without knowing what matters to your customers. They are the ones that tell you what they really care about.
So whether you are the Owner of the company, a rookie Account Manager or anyone in-between, this week you need to ask yourself “What really matters to my customers?” Then consider “What can I do to make it happen?”
If you are a Marketing, Sales or Account Manager here’s my suggestion:
Step One: Identify what matters to your customers. If you don’t know or can’t write down with certainty five to six things that really matter, you have some additional work to do. Don’t go any further until you know.
Step Two: Review your marketing and sales plans. Make sure the items identified above are included in the plans. If they are not, begin to revise the plans to include the things that matter.
Step Three: Remove things from the plans that don’t matter. This may be the hardest of part of the process. I see in many/most cases marketing and sales plans that are filled full of things that matter to the company, department or person making the plan and little to do with the customer. If it doesn’t matter to the customer and is not necessary to the company consider removing it from the plan.
Step Four: Implement the revised plan. Now you have a plan that should be focused on what matters to the customer and your business and less on what makes no difference.
How many times do you see Marketing and Sales strategies completely miss the target?
The solutions they are offering really don’t matter to the customer. I have an inbox full of these missed strategies every morning and every Tuesday my mailbox at home is full of the same. (I didn’t realize until last week that Tuesdays are the Post Office’s junk mail day in our town)
It seems companies trying to sell you something really don’t know you at all and what matters is what matters to them. (although they try to make you believe differently)
If you will start with the four steps above, you may find you are doing everything perfectly. If so congratulations and keep up the good work.
But if not, you must start by implementing the things that matter and eliminating the things that don’t. You will quickly begin to see a change with your customers and the relationships you are trying to grow.
Once they realize you and your company understands what really matters to them and that you have the products and solutions they need, you will begin to see great things start to happen.
Remember what I said at the beginning of this post:
Nothing happens until the Customer says it happens and “then” it only happens when you sell something!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
What’s Your Personal Brand?
As a Sales or Account Manager (for that matter anyone who sales
anything) you are constantly asked “What Brand or Brands do you Sell?” But have you ever asked yourself “What’s my Brand?”
When a customer or client thinks of you what quickly pops into their mind?
Companies spend enormous amounts of time and money trying to create and market their brand. These efforts are an attempt to influence how customers both present and future think about their products and services. They hire marketing teams, sales teams and advertisers to influence how we think and feel when we hear their name or go to buy their product.
Let me try to give you a quick example. As I mentioned last week, I’m in the process of buying a new truck. I’m worrying everyone around me to death about which brand of truck to buy and they wish I would just buy a truck and be done with it. My Son-in-Law told me I needed to just “go ahead and pull the trigger” and I agree. But I digress.
Automobile companies spend huge amounts of money to influence which brand of car or truck we buy. Take for instance General Motors with their 3 divisions. There may be more but Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet are the big three. They are all owned by the same company and each of their vehicles do essentially the same thing. They get you where you want to go and back again. Most of the parts are the same and in many cases they look almost alike. But through their successful attempts to brand each of these divisions differently there is a perceived difference. If I say I’m looking to buy a Cadillac you have different thoughts that if I say I’m buying a Chevrolet. Agreed?
I know there are some differences in the two and I won’t get into that but besides being a bit jealous of you guys in your nice Escalades, I feel Cadillacs and Chevrolets are basically the same. That’s just my perception. I see very little value in the brand differences but apparently others do. Cadillac still has some marketing work to do on me.
This leads us to “What’s your Brand?”
As Salespeople I think we spend all our time influencing our customers on our company’s brand and the products and brands we sell. Many times we forget to think about our personal brand. That’s a lot of brands to worry about.
Many of our customers see us as just another salesperson, grouping us as all one and the same, much as I did above with Cadillac and Chevrolet but we can help change that with our personal brand.
Being a Sales Manager, I spend much of my time making sure we are promoting and influencing the brands we sell. We take the lead from marketing and hit the streets trying to influence our customers to buy our products. When they have a need, we want them to think of us.
But just as important is how they think about our Account Managers.
If you are a Salesperson or Account Manager do you give much thought to what your customer perceives when they think of you?
Are you thought of as:
* Smart
* Trustworthy
* Helpful
* Part of their team
or:
* Never prepared
* Sloppy
* Pushy
* Just another Salesman
When you go into your customer or client’s office are you projecting the image you want your customer to see?
Have you prepared for the sales call well enough that your customer always feels they are getting a value when you see them?
But most importantly, when you leave are they thinking about you the way you want them to think about you?
This is your personal brand. It is no less important than your company’s brand or the brand of the products you are selling.
I can’t stress enough that as Sales and Account Managers we must be intentional in everything we do. To build your personal brand you must do so with intent.
In our company we have a Corporate Philosophy that “Everything Matters.” We try extremely hard to pay attention to the details and not take things for granted.
I encourage when looking at and building your “Personal Brand” that you pay attention to the details and remember to your customer “Everything Matters.”
Everyone has a personal brand whether they know it are not. Your brand is how you are perceived by others.
Do “you” want to be perceived or thought of as a Cadillac or a Chevrolet?
If you have any helpful suggestions please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Can Account Managers Be More Social?
Many Sales and Account Managers I know seem to be Social Animals.
When in a group and especially a “social” group setting, Salespeople want to be in the middle of the action. They’re usually the ones doing the talking and leading the conversation, creating a network of Friends and Associates. They get great pleasure and enjoyment in this environment. I suspect the term “Happy Hour” would not be as popular as it is today if not for Sales and Account Manager’s fulfilling their social needs.
I know a couple of Account Managers that fill their social needs a little too often.
Since Happy Hour doesn’t usually start until after 5:00 and is usually limited to a small group, I would like to invite you to join me as I continue to explore the world of Social Media.
In the last post “Google It!” I told you that I had just signed up for a Twitter account but I didn’t let you know why. If you have read my “About Me” page you know the reason for this blog is to provide enjoyable, relevant and sometimes thought provoking information related to sales, a couple of times a week.
Those that know me know I’m always reading, maybe too much if you ask my wife. I guess I should blame my reading habit on my parents for making me take the “Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Course” when I was in high school. (Showing my age again)
As I read, I am always jotting down notes, quotes or topics I think may be of interest in future blog articles. My ideas for blog posts are far exceeding my time available to write. Many of my notes would probably not make good articles but I think would be enjoyable as “Tweets”.
I have chosen Twitter over the other Social Media outlets such as LinkedIn and FaceBook to share this information. LinkedIn (which I also have an account) is a bit more professional and would not be as appropriate for the personal things I may have to say. Whereas, FaceBook may be a little too personal and not quite right for the usual topics I will be covering. Please let me reserve the right to change my opinion as we go along.
So, back to the topic of Account Manager’s being Social and having the need to network with Friends, Customers and Associates. If you are not using any of the Social Media outlets mentioned above with your Customers, I suggest you need to give at least one of them a try. Social Media allows you to build relationships with your Customers and also promote your Products and Services.
- It is much easier to get relevant and timely information out to your Customers than a Sales Call or Email.
- Can be used to find new Customers and Networking Partners.
- Helps in creating Trust and Credibility.
- You will become the “Expert” in your profession when done right.
At the very least, if you sign up you will be able to follow the Experts in your field, many of your Customers and some of your Competitors from the sidelines. But I think the real value of Social Media is to participate and be a part of the social community. You should get way more than you give.
I must confess that with the exception of this blog, I have been sitting on the sidelines far too long. If you want to join me on Twitter and learn what:
- Tweets
- Re-Tweets
- Mentions
- Hashtags
- Direct Messages
- @,#,d,follow
are all about, you can go to www.twitter.com to sign up.
To get started all you have to do is enter your name, email and password and then click on the “Sign Up For Twitter” button. Then select a user name, your real name is best if available. Next select the “Create My Account” button and that’s it.
If you are new to Twitter you can “Google It” and get all the information you need to get started or go to www.support.twitter.com for help. Also, check your company’s Social Media Policy for all the do’s and don’ts if using Your Company’s name or information.
If you have an account and are an experienced twitter user or just getting started please join me at @WE_Ward as I learn and hopefully demonstrate the tremendous value of Social Media for Sales and Account Managers.
Starting this week, I will begin tweeting the bits and pieces of information I come across each day to provide additional value to those who read my blog and I promise to always try to over-deliver.
If you have any helpful suggestions, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
August Tip of the Month – Google It!
This month’s Sales Tip is more of a request than a tip for Sales and
Account Managers.
Just Google It!
For the next week, I ask that you spend a few minutes every morning and Google each Customer (both existing and new) you plan to see that day. I know that not all your Customers are active on the internet but those that are will provide you a wealth of information.
Many times you can find their:
- Mission and Values
- Recent News and Awards
- Key Employees
- Location of Branches and Projects
- Projects Awarded
- Industry Associations
- Products and Services
- Job Opportunities
And never forget the “About Us” page on their website. This is where they have their chance to tell “their” Customers all about themselves. As an Account Manager you may not get to see how they communicate and sell to their Customers. The “About” page is a good opportunity.
But don’t stop there. Go ahead and check Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to gain information on the company and person you are going to see. This is especially valuable if you are just building a relationship with your Customer or making that initial introduction. (If you are not currently signed up on at least one of these, I encourage you to do so.)
And while you’re at it, go ahead and quickly search your Customer’s competitor’s websites. You may find opportunities you can introduce to you Customer. Heck, you may even find a prospective Customer.
The information you can gather in just a few minutes using the internet is endless.
With this information you will demonstrate your professionalism by being knowledgeable and prepared. You will not be wasting your Customer’s time needlessly fact finding and can begin delivering your value immediately.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had Vendors call on us that didn’t have a clue about our Company or what we do. I’m not only talking about rookie Account Managers but seasoned Professionals as well. How good of sales calls do you think those were?
I believe our Customers are asking us to bring them information they don’t already know. They are tired of telling us things we can easily learn (on the internet) with just a little effort.
So for the next week, do me and yourself a favor and Google Search each of you Customers before you make your sales call. This should require no more than a few minutes once you get the hang of it. Then incorporate what you learn into the visit. I think you will see a huge improvement in your results.
Please let me know your results in the comment section below or email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
As of this week you can also reach me on Twitter at @WE_Ward.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Why Should I Buy From You?
As Sales and Account Managers can you answer this one simple
question?
Why should I buy from you over everybody else?
This is such a simple question but may be the hardest question you will ever be asked to answer. In many cases your Company may not even know the answer.
If you can satisfy the customer’s “Why” the sales process becomes much easier. If you can’t, you are probably stuck to only talking about price and becoming a “me too” Account Manager.
Everyone wants to feel they are making the right and best decision when purchasing anything and I’m no exception.
I’m getting ready to start the process of buying a new truck. Anyone that knows me knows that when I say process I mean a grueling process.
- I will study the different models and options well beyond reason.
- I will have my list of what I’m looking for narrowed down before I even talk to a dealership.
- I will have a good idea of what I’m willing to pay.
- I may even have the vehicle picked out that’s on the lot.
When I finally go in the dealership, what I’m really looking for is “confirmation” that I am making the right decision.
- Is this the dealership and salesperson I should be buying from?
- What makes them better than the dealership down the street?
- Are they going to take care of any problems I may have in the future?
Is this any different than what your customers are thinking or asking themselves about you and your company?
If you don’t know or can’t tell your customer what makes you and your company special, how will they know?
- What products or unique services do you offer that the others don’t?
- In what areas are you far superior to your competition?
- What makes choosing you their best decision?
It doesn’t matter what products or services you are selling you must be able to answer these questions.
My suggestion is:
- Write down the question on a piece of paper.
- Brainstorm all of the things you think makes you and your company special and write them down.
- Eliminate the things your competition does as well as you.
- Scratch off the things your customers would not see as a value to them.
- Select from the remaining items the things you are far superior than your competition and would help your customer realize that choosing you and your company is the best decision.
Now you should have the framework to begin answering the question. Take the time to write down your answer and practice saying it until you have it down cold. Be able to deliver the message with confidence and ease.
You may never know when you will be asked “Why Should I Buy from You over Everybody Else?”
I hope Johnny at the Chevy house is practicing his answer this weekend!
If you have any helpful suggestions, please leave a comment below or email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Communicate the Way Your Customer Wants to Communicate
I’m on my way back from a Corporate Sales and Marketing meeting. As
I sit on the plane, somewhere over South Dakota, I keep thinking about our discussion of “knowing how your customer wants to communicate.”
It became clear to me that if given the choice and without thought we communicate with our customers the way “we” are comfortable. Never asking ourselves what the customer likes or wants.
Vern, one of our Regional Sales Managers, had an excellent example of how he chooses to communicate differently to his customers, his kids and his grandkids in order to be effective and heard.
If Vern has his choice, he prefers to communicate via phone with his customers. This is the way many of us have always communicated with our customers. This may be how your customers want to be reached but are you sure?
If he wants to talk to his kids, the phone is not effective. They prefer texting. Maybe you have had this happen to you. You call your kid on the phone and they don’t answer. So you leave a voicemail and still no reply. At this point I’m wondering why they even have a phone. But if you fire off a text message you get a reply back before you can get your phone back in your pocket. Maybe even a couple of more texts before you can even text back “ok” or I guess the appropriate text is “k”.
But what really brought the importance of how you choose to communicate is when he told about how he communicates long distance with his young grandchildren.
I think we’ve all tried to talk over the phone with a toddler. It’s pretty much a one-way communication. Most of the time, they just listen to the foolish talk from a loving grandparent trying to baby talk over the phone. If you’re a parent or grandparent you know what I’m talking about. If you were doing this in public someone would probably call the cops thinking you’ve been drinking.
You would never consider texting your grandkids but I would argue texting may be as effective as baby talking over the phone.
FaceTime has become the communication tool of choice at Vern’s and at our house for Grandma and Granddaughter to talk. What better way to communicate long distance with your grandchildren than FaceTime. Except maybe a weekend trip for hugs and kisses. I sometimes wonder what our grandkids think when they see us making silly faces and baby talking.
I think what Vern was telling us was that there are many ways to communicate and you must choose which to use. I’m sure his kids would have no interest in FaceTiming with their dad any more than a phone call. Nor would many of his customers care at all about texting when they would much rather have a conversation over the phone.
Are you communicating one way when your customer wants to communicate another?
For example:
- You leave a voicemail and they text you back.
- You send a fax and they scan it back in an email.
- You email them and they call you back on the phone.
These may be signs that you are not communicating the way they wish to communicate.
In our office, email seems to be the choice. I think some would rather send emails than eat. I would rather talk in person or over the phone but if email is what they want that’s what I’ll do.
So are you giving any thought to how your customers and co-workers wish to communicate?
If you can’t figure it out just ask them!
Please leave a comment below with your thoughts about how to best communicate or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
What to do when a New Competitor Comes to Town
Are you and your Account Managers worried sick about the new
competitor coming to town?
I recommend a bowl of Ice Cream.
I’ve never been the type to worry much about what the competition is doing. I have always felt that you need to worry more about what you’re doing than your competitors.
If you’re making the right decisions, working hard and always trying to exceed your customer’s expectations you really don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve often said “it’s hard to lose a happy customer” or to say it another way “it’s not your happy customers that move their business to the company down the street.”
However, I think not at least monitoring what the competition is doing is a very big mistake and you may be missing opportunities for improvement especially if you have new competitors moving to town.
If your company is like ours we are seeing many new competitors moving into our area. I guess the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence. Worrying and fretting about them will do no good.
Now is the time to make sure you are over-delivering and exceeding your customer’s expectations. I remember reading a book or an article about building a “moat” around your customers. Make it as hard as possible for the competition to get to your customers.
I think you do this by truly focusing on what you do best and improving the things you do badly.
It is the things you do poorly that will give the competition entrance to your customers. But it is the things you do best that will limit the damage.
I see many Companies and their Sales Teams worry so much about what their competitors are doing they completely forget what they do best. They get so fixated on what the competition is doing that they quit bringing their unique value to the customer.
When you began to overly focus on the competition you will become reactive and much less pro-active in your sales process, hence less value. Simply put “less value = less customers.”
Look on the Bright Side
View this as a challenge to improve what you’re doing and see this as an opportunity to learn something new.
As Sales and Account Managers we must always be learning and looking for ways to improve. Let’s put learning from the competition as one of the tools we use to learn. Just like a 2 day seminar, a good sales book and this blog site (I hope).
I’ve been thinking about the Ice Cream commercial that’s been on TV for years. It’s got the happy Ice Cream Truck Driver. I believe their slogan is “We eat what we want and sell the rest.”
So you may be thinking what this has to do with a discussion about your competition?
Probably nothing, but if you can take (learn) what your competitor does best and improve on that, then don’t worry about the rest.
If you see something they are doing extremely well, take notice and see if it is something you should be doing. If it is, make sure you can do it better than them. If not then consider not doing it. You don’t want to become a “me too.”
I would be less than honest if I don’t admit that sometimes the competition and especially the new guys coming to town give me many sleepless nights. But all the worrying and tossing and turning is not going to stop them. You must focus on what you have control and always be the best you can be. Then, don’t forget to try to learn something from them and forget the rest.
It’s time for that bowl of Ice Cream then back to work.
If you would, please leave a helpful comment below or email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Six Traits of a Star Account Manager
So you’re a Branch or Sales Manager, do you want to make your job
much easier?
Then hire yourself a Star Salesperson or Account Manager. It may be the single most important decision you will ever make. Nothing will make you look smarter than hiring a superstar. The superstars won’t require as much of your time as most Account Managers. They are driven to succeed and will work hard and smart to do so. The Star Account Manager will seek out the customer’s needs and objectives and find the solutions.
Our most successful Account Managers can out sell 2 or 3 average Account Managers and they are my best sources for providing me with accurate market information.
There are six traits or qualities you should start looking for when hiring an Account Manager or building up your Sales Team.
I was introduced to these traits several years ago by a Sales Coach we hired to help work with our Sales group. I have made some modifications to fit the quickly changing world of sales but for the most part these traits I think should stand the test of time.
You may be surprised, as I was that “good” looks and product knowledge are not on the list. If good looks was a requirement I would never have been hired as a salesman. Good looks may help on the initial contact but is not a necessary trait to be a Star Account Manager.
Product knowledge can be learned. Some product knowledge is probably desirable but if I can learn what I needed to know somebody else can learn as well.
The Six Traits that Make a Star Account Manager or Salesperson:
- Honesty and Ethical Principles – This is the most important trait. You will be asking your customers to trust your Account Manager and they must know they will be treated honestly and fairly. This will also help insure that in the future you will not be dealing with a salesperson that’s done something unethical that gets you and your company in trouble.
- High Energy Level – You need to look for an individual that has the energy and willingness to make that early morning sales call and still have the energy to schedule a call for 4:30 in the afternoon. In many cases sales is a numbers game and the more sales calls that an Account Manager can make the more likely they will be successful.
- Ability and Eagerness to Learn – I’m not talking only about gaining product knowledge but in today’s sales environment an Account Manager must always be learning, inquiring and improving their sales skills. There are always changing products, new applications and changing technology. To keep up with all these changes the salesperson must be able and willing to learn, understand and change as needed.
- Capable to Build Strong Business Relationships – The successful Account Manager must be able to build strong trusting business relationships with many different types of people. This requires the ability to listen to the customer’s needs, be able to recognize the customer’s emotions and be perceptive to what the customer may or may not be telling them. They must be able to build trust and be able to show a real interest in their customers.
- Successful self-image of themselves – This may be the hardest trait to identify. It seems that people always live up to the image they have of themselves. I see Account Managers with all the potential and ability in the world, but they never live up to their potential because of a poor self-image. If they can’t imagine themselves being a superstar Account Manager then they probably never will be.
- Internal motivation – You want to find that person who has an internal drive to succeed. As Managers we can provide the external motivation by offering money, trips, bonuses and recognition but without the internal motivation to be the best they can be, the exterior benefits will be short lived. I think it is the internal motivation and the want to succeed that helps the Account Manager overcome the disappointments and rejections of being in sales.
As it was taught to me, these traits are not only yes/no. Everyone has these characteristics to various degrees. So it is not a question of if they have these traits but to what degree they have them. You may want to rank each of the qualities from 0 to 10. This should make it easier to compare your sales candidates.
If you are lucky enough to find that perfect candidate for the sales position, hang on because you will be in for a very profitable and interesting ride.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
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