Process Tools Don’t Sell, Salespeople Sell

Process Tools Don’t Sell, Salespeople Sell:  from Jonathan Farrington's Blog by Jonathan Farrington


Are we becoming overly-obsessed with process and process tools?
No, I don’t think we are, or more correctly, I hope we are not.
I believe it is essential to bring together a number of key factors when aiming for optimum performance levels – the simplified formula – which I have discussed often enough - would be:
Attitude + Skills + Process (A.S.P.)
Attitude is fundamental to any achievement, because individuals with the right attitude are far more likely to embrace the essential skills and, at the same time, recognize the control that Process brings.
Skills are the ‘tools of the trade’ and have to be developed on an ongoing basis. They also need to be specific, because too much time can be wasted over-burdening employees with inappropriate and irrelevant skills without any identifiable plan for their future requirements. The implementation of any skills development program has to be well thought out and logical in its approach, if a proper return on that often considerable investment is to be achieved.
Process brings organization, efficiency and control – both for the individual and for management. Effective process provides objective analysis and indicators which can be benchmarked and accurately measured.
Many of the largest corporations around the world have created a V.P. Process role to oversee the implementation of process systems, including Information Management and Customer Relationship Management.
There is of course a need to build in Knowledge and that can include knowledge of products, industry, market sectors, competitors, business, etc. But generally, this education is provided extremely competently internally.
However, recognition of the A.S.P. formula is only the beginning and in truth, most organizations merely pay lip service to it, preferring to regard any form of ongoing training as a cost rather than an investment, whether that is short, medium or long term. And yet there is substantial evidence to indicate a direct correlation between continuing education and consistently high achievement, increased job satisfaction, enhanced levels of motivation and loyalty.
Our commercial functions, specifically the sales team, represent our forward line. If they are not scoring regularly, we cannot possibly achieve our overall commercial objectives – i.e. nothing happens until somebody sells something,(and that is an incredibly worn out cliché, but nevertheless, still very true) and all of that investment in costly accounting systems, new office equipment, expensive I.T. systems etc. will count for nothing.
As Sir John Harvey-Jones famously said, “Most companies fail not in their attempts to be innovative or creative. In this country most of them fail because they undervalue the importance of professional selling.”
So let’s be absolutely clear about this, the dramatic increase in the adoption of process tools is to be welcomed and applauded, but if we assume that they can, in isolation, make us successful, then we should be considered to be very naive.

News: If you are in a front-line sales or marketing role, you know that there are often times when you come up against a situation that you need help with; you maybe think to yourself, “If only there was somewhere or somone I could go to for immediate advice – an angel” Well, very soon there will be. Linda Richardson, Founder and Chairwoman of Richardson, and widely regarded as the most successful woman - ever – to grace the sales space, is launching her “Sales Rescue” facility on Top Sales World, from May 1st. Linda will be joined by a very small group of her selected friends, to provide instant help and advice, via an interactive chat box. And guess what? This exclusive and unique service is going to be free!  Do mark your diary – Tuesday May 1st.