| There can be debates in sales circles about who | | | | You've invested hardly any money in marketing. Your |
| owns the customer: the business or the salesperson? | | | | brand reputation is actually poor. But somehow you |
| While we may not get consensus on the topic, it's an | | | | get leads and your salespeople get with prospects. If |
| indisputable fact that your salespeople, at the very | | | | the salespeople are good, if they can do the things |
| least, own the immediate relationship with the | | | | described in Scenario 1 above, then you're likely to get |
| customer, and thus can make or break any sale. | | | | a sale. |
| Imagine two scenarios: | | | | The point is this: While your marketing dollars can put in |
| Scenario 1 | | | | some of the initial hard yards, it will take the ability of |
| You've invested millions of dollars into marketing. Your | | | | your people on the ground to get you across the goal |
| brand has a strong reputation, and you're considered | | | | line. This is why your people are your brand. |
| an industry leader. So when prospects think of buying | | | | And "your people" are not limited to your sales team... |
| a product in your category, you're the first vendor they | | | | it's all your people: customer service, technical support, |
| call. So far so good. | | | | accounts payable and especially customer-facing |
| From this point forward, however, the control is | | | | employees. So before sending your salespeople into |
| removed from your hands and placed in those of your | | | | the field, before customer service reps take calls, |
| sales people (including your distributors). And if they | | | | before technical support goes on service calls, be sure |
| don't know how to sell, if they don't know how to | | | | they undergo a sales training program so that they |
| establish a relationship, communicate value and effect | | | | know how to communicate, aka sell, thus ensuring the |
| closure, then all your marketing effort is for naught. | | | | customer account is properly looked after and the |
| Scenario 2 | | | | health of your relationship is sustained. |