Lessons from the Field

There are 3 sales that need to be made from the perspective of arranging a 3rd party sales organization.

First, the company to be represented needs to be sold. This can be a bit sensitive on a couple of fronts. The first is in making realistic projections without overstating the projected sales, keeping ramp up in mind, and at the same time the projections need to be enticing enough for the company to want to have a 3rd party sales force. It is likely to be a bad relationship if the company doesn’t have a realistic idea of what to expect, or if they won’t accept projections or ramp times that are realistic.

Second, is to sell the idea to your reps in order to develop a strong sales team. Again they shouldn’t be oversold or they will be lost quickly. The ability to make money in the long run and be a primary influence of the company’s success is often quite enough to interest good people into coming on board.

The third sale is the one to your customers. While this is in the hands of your salespeople and they may be remote, constant and consistent communication both ways is vital to the maintenance of momentum in your sales. Salespeople need to feel supported and important and they are. Keep reminding them of what they are working for and how important they are and they will step up to the plate and keep swinging until they and you are successful.

Feel free to add your tips for making these sales!! What else would you do?

SalesLab’s Rainmaker series returns to the Capital Technology Management Hub, Tuesday, September 13^th with 300 seconds of Mark Your Territory. The featured CTMH speaker will be Professor Steve Gladis, author of The Agile Leader. Come join us!