Marketing Solutions Blog
Outside Sales
April 30th, 2010 | No CommentsI recently performed a sales evaluation for a client. I spent a day-in-the-life with one of our client’s sales reps. Outside sales people sometimes get a bad rep because they are not “accountable” to a supervisor who can observe their regular work day activities. However, most successful outside sales people are self starters who do not want to sit behind a desk or in a retail environment all day. They choose to be on-the-go, typically are great multi-taskers and function best WITHOUT constant supervision.
“Jane” was a perfect example of this. She has the passion for the product she sells, has compassion for the clients upon whom she calls and is very talented at building relationships. Jane’s clients are all health care professionals who work in very busy hospital units. It was refreshing to see her size up a situation to determine how much time she thought was appropriate to spend with the client. It was also exciting (I am a marketing professional after all) to see her counter an objection from a potential client with such aplomb that this client actually purchased her product later the same day.
My business requires that I work regularly with outside sales people. Consequently, I know a good one when I see one. Outside sales people don’t always walk through the door at the end of the day with a fistful of orders or cash. The best ones have regular, repeat business due to the relationships that have been nurtured over months or years. They will generate new business, perform customer service duties and maintain existing business relationships all in the course of the day.
I am often asked for references on sales people in my industry. Sales Managers call to see who I think is a good outside sales rep. My criteria for giving a good reference include this short list:
Effective Use of Time: Does the sales rep effectively use his time with me to update me on his product and changes within the marketplace, or does she just come to my office to “kill time”? I respect those sales people who respect my time. I appreciate a sales call that covers several concerns, products and objectives at one time rather than repeated sales calls for one item at a time.
Follow Up: Does the sales rep respond in a timely manner (for me sometimes this means within an hour) with critical information or answers to questions? Jane’s clients’ primary need is a prompt response time on their cases. Jane showed a sense of urgency in getting them the information they needed to make a decision on her product.
Knowledge of Product/Marketplace: I expect the sales person to be so familiar with their product that they don’t need collateral to do a presentation. Sometimes a sales person has only time enough for the thirty second elevator pitch. Jane literally pitched a client while riding down in the elevator with her, walked with her around a cafeteria while the client got her lunch, then rode back up the elevator with her. You can see that trying to present materials or a power point presentation under these circumstances would be ridiculous.
In closing, I would add that the best outside sales people are a rare breed. They have to be tough enough to hear “no” and keep going back for more, deal with difficult people on a regular basis and juggle a multitude of tasks. This is not a job for your average 9 to 5er. If you are lucky enough to find a good outside sales person, hang on to them because initiative and passion are two things that can’t be taught.
