Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chally Group GreatBusChallenges 2005
Chally Group GreatBusChallenges 2005
Chally Group GreatBusChallenges 2005
Challenges of
the New Millennium
Page
A Brief History i
Credits ii
The Building Blocks of the Great Companies and Corporations of the Future 7
The Minority Report 15
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A Brief History
T
HE HR CHALLY GROUP was founded in 1973 through
a grant from the United States Justice Department.
The grant funded the creation of actuarial assessment
techniques and a validation technology that accurately predicts
on-the-job effectiveness.
A Special Thanks To
In 1992, “Consultive Selling” was perceived as the key to future success. Sales
executives were most concerned about switching to “added value” selling and
de-emphasizing volume. There were concerns about the speed of technology
changes, products maturing to commodities, and even government regulation. But
beneath all the specifics was the need to change internal traditions and culture, to
secure a seat for sales at the executive and boardroom tables, and to become a key
resource in their companies’ competitive strategies.
Taking the input from these sales executives, Chally redirected the research during
the last 10 years toward the more pointed, objective (and quantifiable) data that
customers can provide. Chally interviewed over 23,000 business decision-makers
and asked them to rate, in depth, the salespeople who called on them as well as
the vendors they represented. These same customers also provided purchasing
information from all the vendors they rated. With this information, Chally was
able to rank 7,200 sales forces in 20+ industries and, most critically, statistically
identify the specific salesperson behaviors that caused a customer to select Vendor
“A” over Vendor “B.”
Finally, the rankings identified the very few sales forces that achieved “world
class” performance in the eyes of their customers so that we could, with
permission, benchmark their sales practices and metrics. These reports have been
distributed to over 3,000 companies, and are still requested on a weekly basis.
Late last year, ten years after the original research, Chally went back to leading sales
executives to get their perspective on the future of sales in the new millennium.
The following report documents the impact of sales today and an in-depth
prescription for the changes needed to succeed in the future.
Howard Stevens
CEO
The HR Chally Group
Europe
T
he newfound and still growing “power to the salespeople will not be able to provide the customized
customer” has made him King, and not just in PR, solutions that customers will demand in the future.
value statements, and training phrases of the past.
The information explosion, easily and instantly available Tomorrow’s executives will find themselves even more
through the Internet, diminishes corporate pricing drastically squeezed between the conflicting and increasingly
strategies, marketing positioning, and even customer complex demands of the customer and the growing pricing
service ratings. pressures of the competitive market. The need to protect
margins and increase profits will remain at risk
Yet personal relationships between customers and
salespeople will remain important. In fact, such So say the 100 leading sales executives, individually
relationships will become more important than ever, interviewed by The HR Chally Group and its affiliates.
because they will help companies fight the ever-stronger With extensive price and competitor information in
pressure toward commoditization. What’s more, without hand, customers are demanding more and higher-quality
maintaining close relationships with their customers, products and services.
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quality to increase the efficiency … sometimes
just minutes quicker.” al-mart’s strength has been in handling data and
information. The speed at which information
Keith McCluskey, President, flows and triggers business processes even without
Credit Acceptance Corporation human intervention is awesome. Today, the processes of
scanning a box of diapers at the checkout counter also
Customers want tomorrow’s newest innovations NOW. creates an invoice for the manufacturer, schedules another
And they will demand them at the lowest possible price. replacement including a shipping schedule, and finally,
It’s a buyer’s market and it will continue to be for the notifies a warehouse to restock the inventory at that precise
foreseeable future. store. Wal-Mart continues to excel at driving down costs,
and therefore, lowers prices as a competitive advantage.
Being able to manage data in real time, fix problems almost
as quickly as they happen, and react to their marketplace
Protecting Intellectual Capital with incredible speed drives their advantage.
T
his will add a whole new challenge in protecting
intellectual capital. The pressure on companies to keep “We’re looking at the speed of change. The
up with the competition has made reverse engineering change will be very rapid and relatively short.
a well-developed technology. Even in western economies Most companies do a lot of planning. Definitely,
where the patent laws are fairly rigidly enforced, it’s quite you need to have immediate shelters, budgets,
legal to disassemble a competitor’s product and gain access to and all that, but at best you can only talk about
their proprietary systems or otherwise unravel their corporate a two or three year vision. Now you see industry
assets, as long as the “proper” procedures are followed. In leaders, top-notch businessmen, who when
third world economies, the problem continues to be nearly presenting at briefings always maintain low
unstoppable. For years, “copies” of brand-name products visibility into the future. They can only see the
were easily mass-produced and sold through a wide variety of next three to six months. More than that and
distribution channels. Today, however, the “apparent quality” they are afraid to make a prediction.”
of retail products is often indistinguishable from the original. Michael Lowe, Vice President
This is easily accomplished in music, or other electronic Sales & Marketing, Asia, Beyonics Technology
products and services, but it has also spread to industrial
products and even to sophisticated business services.
To survive in this climate driven by the success of Wal-
The second form of intellectual capital is the total corporate Mart and other major cost-driven companies, tomorrow’s
knowledge base residing across all the employees. With competitors will have only two strategies in their arsenal:
reduced company loyalty, companies are finding that
major investments in retaining existing, especially senior 1. To intimately and deeply understand
technical and managerial, personnel will be an ever growing what their customers really want and
necessity. need more effectively and more quickly
than their competitors.
2. The ability to develop and produce a
The Wal-Mart Phenomenon solution in a progressively timely and
cost-effective manner.
C
ompetition for business among suppliers will To add to the pressure of keeping their costs down,
become even more intense than it is today. So will executives will be continually trying to differentiate
the market pressure driving products and services themselves in a marketplace that resists differentiation.
toward commoditization. Wal-Mart has become the largest This will typically require developing different distribution
company in the world by constantly controlling and channels and information/marketing channels: email, direct
reducing costs in every step in the supply chain. They have mail, catalogue, direct sales, etc., to reduce cost but still
succeeded beyond anybody’s wildest imagination. From a tailor the right mix for that market segment.
D
espite all their customers’ talk about strategic direction,
the fact is that many – if not most – customers are
Customers’ Expectations Are up … working and will continue to work to strip the “value-
added” pricing argument from suppliers’ offerings, and to line
and That’s Only the Beginning up their suppliers one next to the other in an attempt to drive
down prices. Some already view this customer response with
E
irony and frustration. After all, they have worked hard to define
mpowered customers will make even greater their value in the market. Yet, after establishing what they
demands for quality, innovation, service, and low thought were long-lasting relationships with their customers,
prices – all with the attitude that if Vendor A can’t they have found those relationships to be as fragile as the next
supply them with these things, Vendors B, C, D or X can. company’s lower price.
Customers will be more educated than ever, largely due to the
Internet and high-speed/real-time information technology. They
will have more product and market knowledge than ever before. “The inefficiencies in the marketplace that
Many of the “best”, i.e., most viable and profitable customers, will companies have been able to exploit in the past
not only identify tight strategic directions; they will also hold their are disappearing. So trying to maintain your
suppliers accountable for helping them move in that direction. reason for being and maintaining your sustainable
competitive advantage in the marketplace is
All the public relations “spin” that marketing people might offer going to be even more difficult.”
won’t overcome the need for cold, hard proof of the benefit they’ve
delivered. Customers will establish measurable criteria to actually Scott Mackie, General Director, ACDelco
assess their suppliers’ ability to help them meet their strategic goals.
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is growing up.”
aintaining margins in such an environment will Atul Sobti, VP
be a huge challenge for companies. Mistakes
that might have been forgiven or at least hidden Marketing & Sales
in comfortable profits in the past will not be forgiven in Hero Honda Motors, Ltd.
the future. Internal inefficiencies cannot be tolerated.
Consequently, surviving incumbents will be the quickest to
“Companies are going to have to be willing identify, analyze, and develop a new competitive advantage
to change the business model, the way they to offset their new competitors. Companies who themselves
measure success for everything including how are entering overseas markets will carry their own sets of
they price, where their margins are, and where challenges with them, say the respondents. They will
their value is. They’re going to need a whole have to learn the cultures, customs, and nuances of doing
new value proposition.” business in foreign countries. Their new customers won’t
Anthony Pellegrini, Senior Vice President offer them much slack as they climb the learning curve.
Using “expatriates” transferred in is likely to be a recipe for
Marketing & Engagement Services, disaster. People not thoroughly versed in the local language,
CompuCom idioms, morals, and customs will be seen as outsiders and
suffer the resistance to choose “foreign vendors” over
more familiar and often better trusted locals. The general
Companies will be driven hard to keep tight control of
concept of “market globally, sell locally” will be tough to
production costs, overhead costs, interest costs, and
implement, but those who don’t won’t survive.
product costs.
Customer Satisfaction
Globalization Will Contribute Won’t Guarantee Customer Loyalty
to the Pressure on Prices
“What are you going to do for me
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globalization will only add more competitors to the mix.
Not only will globalization create more competitors, but ustomer loyalty will continue to ebb, say survey
new and unfamiliar ones. Incumbents won’t always be respondents, and the ability to respond rapidly
prepared for or even understand the technologies and to competitors will be a key challenge in the
marketing techniques that these overseas competitors will future. Product life cycles will continue to shorten; and
be introducing to their markets. manufacturers will be pressed to shorten the concept-to-
product timetable and then shorten it again. What’s more,
they will have to make sure their new products and services
hit dead in the center of the sweet spot, because they will
have a shorter period of time in which to recoup their
R&D costs and profits.
O
solutions with personalization. And that’s mass
customization.” nly by hiring and retaining the very best people –
salespeople, operations people, etc., – can companies
Tom VanHootegem, Director of National hope to thrive in such an environment, say the
Accounts, Boise Cascade Office Products respondents. But finding such people is a challenge.
M
any sales executives believe that their number- “At the end of the day it’s not a plan or even a
one challenge in the coming years will be getting solution. It’s having the people who can continually
to know more about their customers than anyone modify the plan and build new solutions.”
else. That’s not easy, particularly for companies that have
Peter A. Luongo, President and CEO
subscribed to the “build it and they will come” mentality.
(Or “build it and hope and pray they will come.”) The Berry Company
Tomorrow’s customers won’t be looking just for products;
they’ll be looking for solutions and services. In order to Winners will hire people who themselves are committed to a
deliver them, companies will have to know everything customer-centric approach to the market, and then build internal
about their customers’ organizations, and how their systems and processes to “institutionalize” it. By removing all
products and services touch them. What’s more, not only the internal obstacles that hinder smooth and productive work
will companies have to figure out their customers’ current relationships, companies will free themselves up and allow
needs, but they will have to work hard to anticipate their their employees to focus outward on the only thing that matters
future needs as well. – the customer. It will mean changing people’s mindsets from
product-centric to customer -- or service-centric. Successful
“To avoid being transactionally-based, you companies and effective salespeople in this new environment
must take the time to understand both your will focus less on features and benefits, and more on filling the
client’s business and the industry in which it customers’ overall needs. In a market in which customers see
operates. This involves taking a close look most of their suppliers and products/services as commodities,
under the covers to figure out not just how to the only distinguishing characteristic of a company will be the
serve your client and your client’s client, but people who personally call on the customer. Those people will
also the industry as a whole. Everybody talks become the all-important drivers of the new market.
about serving the customer’s customer, but not
the customer’s industry.”
Dan Garrett, VP & Managing Partner “I see way too much time being spent on
of Global Health Solutions ‘people monitoring’ and ‘managing exceptions.’ All
Computer Sciences Corporation that leads to this internal focus that takes you away
from the customer. You end up building all these
administrative walls just to make sure you’re doing
what you said you’re going to do. And so much of
Just as suppliers will face quick-paced competitors, so too
that can be combated if you make sure to bring in the
will their customers. Since every customer is also a supplier
right people in the first place.”
the pressure will continue along the entire length of the
supply chain. The commodity providers near or at the end Sam Reese, President and CEO
Miller Heiman
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1. More specialization will be required
n short, leading sales executives envision a tougher new
(specialize to professionalize).
world – one in which they will be constantly challenged
to identify their customers’ most intimate but constantly
2. New multinational/cultural experience
changing needs, and then to respond quickly and cost-
and skills will be required.
effectively – and still execute better than the competition.
“The customer is a lot brighter now than he used to be. He’s a lot better
informed and a lot more demanding. That development in itself is forcing the
pace of change. It’s driving prices down. And more and more salespeople feel
like they are forced to talk about price.”
Alan Cassels, Country Manager, PT Birotika Semesta, DHL Worldwide Express
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he huge challenges companies will face (including much shorter life cycles and rapid commoditization,
the growing shift of negotiating power to the customer, and new competition from globalization) will
drive a new economy and a new definition for building business success.
B
playing a price game.” eyond learning, of course, comes execution.
Steve Ziessler, Vice President of Sales Companies that can adapt to new realities in the
market will succeed.
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
“Internally we know we have always done a
To get beyond survival, and to grow both margins and great job of developing programs. But you can
profits, the successful companies of the future will be have the greatest programs in the world and if we
forced to become true customer experts. They’ll need to don’t have great execution in the field it’s going to
track and “own” new levels of information and real-time flounder. So we’ve got to be able to aggressively
data. CRM will have to detail not only the purchasing step up the execution of our programs.”
and operating needs of customers, it will also be required Carol Flatt-Pappan, Director Global Sales
to describe and track customer’s markets as well as their
customer’s customers’ needs and challenges. Training and Development
Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Internal Data and Database Mining In order to achieve world-class execution, companies
Won’t Be Good Enough will have to toss out the outdated internal organizational
structures (silos) that had forced them to focus more on
A
their internal departments, power structures, and corporate
cquiring the information and data to support this politics than on their customers. They will need to become
level of customer expertise implies more than just more integrated company-wide, bring down the walls that
understanding the customers’ needs. Relying on the separate departments, and enlist everyone in the company
typical qualifying data collected in the prospecting process to focus on the customer in a coordinated effort.
or even the more elaborately tracked purchasing databases
will not suffice. Companies will have to burst out of their
traditional habits to become true learning organizations. In “Sales must complete its integration within the
this context, the subject is more than the customer, it’s the whole organization, i.e., aligned and connected
strategy of the customer: with marketing, R&D, logistics, manufacturing,
and in the generation and maintenance of up-to-
1. Within their own unique competitive challenges, date client information.”
2. Within their economic landscape, and Paul Woods
3. Within their customer’s market and industry. Training and Development Director, WorldCom
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are going to have to grow at a faster rate than
o become a learning organization that is focused expenses. Sales executives are going to need
on and responsive to its customers’ changing to improve the productivity of their organizations.
needs, companies will have to be led from the top. They’re going to have to get smarter with how they
Tomorrow’s great corporations will have to develop strong use both human resources and alternate sales
leaders and cultivate a workforce of talented, bright, and channel resources, because they’re going to have
adaptable people. to introduce alternate channels to develop leads,
to improve service, and to improve coverage on
“The sales role, as a sales ‘professional’ will small business and middle market companies that
be defined toward customer advocacy, both as they’re not covering well today, and lead all of this
a development role as well as an execution role. additional channel resource into existing sales
Salespeople, I hope, will be more empowered organizations to improve productivity. And when
to make decisions on behalf of the organization, it’s done right, then an organization is going to
within the guidelines.” have a finely working machine that will separate
itself from its rivals. That’s what I think the best
David M. Holland sales executives are going to be up to in the next
VP & General Manager Sales and Service few years.”
Relizon Company
Gary Tubridy, Senior Vice President
The Alexander Group
Salespeople will typically be the leading edge using their
knowledge of the customer and knowledge of the talents
within their own organization to figure out how their
company can deliver the value that the customer seeks. “Salespeople are going to have to really
partner with their marketing people, not ‘that’s
my account,’ ‘I own that account,’ and ‘I’ll bring
“The sales professional will have to the manager in when I need it.’ An integrated
become more competent in the issues that our marketing program really allows the rep to
customers are grappling with. Customers are keep the company ‘top of mind’ across all the
demanding solution-based value propositions different marketing vehicles: email marketing,
that bring measurable value to their bottom- direct marketing, catalog distribution, etc. It will
line. Product features and benefits are still be an integrated approach and a partnership
important, but the thrust of our propositions that doesn’t exist to that level today.”
today must be based on a more elaborate
set of value drivers. The ability of the sales Dave Grove
professional to rise to this expectation can be VP of Sales, Marketing & Merchandising
a key differentiator.” Corporate Express
Jack Luker, VP of Sales, xpedx
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leaders will have to discover new ways to make sure
that everyone in the organization – product managers, op sales executives repeatedly emphasize that
salespeople, marketing people, top management, etc., successful companies will need new and much more
– keep their eyes on one thing: the customer. The old battles intensive customer relationship management skills.
for power and inclusion will have to be conceded. Not only are they referring to the widely promoted software
solutions, but also developing outstanding communication
The sales force will have to actively participate in the skills with their customers. Only by getting to know
overall management of the company. Individuals will also their customers both as business decision-makers and as
be responsible for developing alternative strategies for individuals will salespeople know what they need, and
customer contact that might not include them but would what kinds of new products and services should be offered
still cooperate with their activities. to them.
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t means knowing the market in which the customer well as the actual users of the product, and be able to
operates. Successful companies will make it a point understand and react to the differences between the
to learn about their customers’ challenges. What are two without being perceived as “siding” with one over
the trends in their industry that will affect them? How the other. While the economic decision-maker wants to
can the supplier respond by developing new products minimize choice to reduce complexity and inventory,
and services to help their customers meet those trends? and therefore, cost, the user usually wants to broaden it.
Stronger salespeople will learn how to walk the fine line
between these agendas.
“Having all the data in one place and
having the methodology that you use to drive
that throughout the life cycle and to all the key The Critical Role of the “Personal Touch”
players consistently is increasingly critical.”
in Developing Customer Loyalty
Steve Davies
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Head of Business Markets, O2 uccessful companies will depend on their ability to
develop a “personal touch” to build relationships
and to profile their customers’ key issues and
This will require a new mindset for the company’s
possible solutions. Only that level of established trust
marketers and salespeople, because it will call for
will provide sufficiently penetrating insights to enable
selling for the long-term. Companies will have to be
them to correctly prioritize their strategy and then
able to answer this question: “How can our offerings
develop products and services that offer their customers
position the customer (and thus ourselves) for success
exceptional value.
five or even ten years from now?” The challenge will
be to more quickly change the mindset of salespeople
and others into taking that long-range view. This will They will also use it to identify which customers do
require revisiting traditional and often “sacred” concepts NOT warrant much time and effort.
of compensation to resist the temptation of setting
performance goals based on reacting to a very short-term “One important role of sales is to identify
view of quarterly or even monthly results including the the winning customers of the future. If you work
company’s stock fluctuations. with customers on those total systems solutions,
then you can only engage with a limited number
Salespeople who really get to know their key customers’ of customers. So the most important role is to
decision-makers as live human beings with their own define who will be the winning customer that
concerns, hopes, expectations, etc., will experience can drive significant sales.”
more success than those who do not.
Jereon Keunen, General Manager
South East Asia, Philips Electronics
“From my perspective, the key for any
sales organization on a go-forward basis
is to borrow a phrase from sports and ‘be In other words, companies that can measure the
the customer.’ You can only do that by profitability of specific customers will be able to use
penetrating, infiltrating, and customizing your their resources more wisely.
business selectively to key customers.”
Geoff Brownrigg
President & General Manager
Huffy Service First, Inc.
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uccessful companies will pay continuous attention “If you partner with the right key customers,
to their customers – at least their profitable ones. including both manufacturing and R&D, it
Neglecting customers through the life of a contract, can be mutually beneficial to all. By sharing
then lavishing attention on them a few months before intellectual property to the benefit of these
contract renewal, simply won’t work in the future. customers, many times you can develop and
deliver new products and technologies, not
“It’s important to choose a solution only to their benefit, but market-wide.”
to offer to the customer that, in the early
stages of the relationship, contributes to a Mark Groudas, VP North and South
discussion of the longer-term plan for both American Operations, Waters Corp.
hardware and software: a roadmap. And by
doing so, we can actually build a barrier to
discourage the customer from searching for
a different supplier later on.” Internal Assessment and Readiness
Anthony Koh to Change
VP Sales, LSI Logic, Singapore
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f knowledge of the customer is a necessary
It is only through continuous attention that they can strength for companies in the future, so too is
identify opportunities to offer new products and an in-depth understanding of its own resources
services for their customers’ changing businesses. including accurate S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses,
They know that if they ignore their customers, their Opportunities, and Threats) analyses of all its strengths
competitors – either from this country or another and weaknesses. How else will management match the
– will take notice. strengths of its company with the needs of its customers?
Managers will have to ask the right questions: Do we
have the right product to meet our customers’ needs?
“It will be a great challenge to balance Do we have the right people in place?
the short- and long-term drivers of our
business, keeping a focus on innovation while
producing short-term results. Taking the time “There has to be a commitment from the
to be innovative for future growth can easily top to develop people, and that includes the
be lost.” managers responsible for implementing the
Michael Fenger strategies to develop people. If these people
General Manager, Nilfisk-Advance are pressured into getting results first as
has been all too frequent in the past, then
supervision and all other things related to
Successful companies will impress on their employees developing people will be number two.”
that customer focus begins from the moment the
customer makes contact with the company (or vice Anak Agung Gde Putera, Vice President
versa), all the way through to the processing of the MetLife Sejahtera
invoice. This means that everyone in the company – not
just the field sales force – will have to get involved in
customer relationship-building. Companies that can And finally, do we have the ability and the desire to
do this will find that their customers will treat them as handle scenarios that will unfold in our industry and
partners, not vendors. Customers will recognize that select the plan that best fits our resources?
the company is looking out for them, not just making
a buck off them. They will feel they have a relationship
with their suppliers. They know they can count on their
supplier and not just to stock inventory on their behalf,
John German, Heavy Duty Market Manager “If you’re going to be a consultant for
Federal Signal customers you’re going to have to have enough
knowledge around different processes that the
customer is using so that you can look for
Companies will have to develop the strength and opportunities and take advantage of them and
wisdom to know that they can’t be all things to all know who, within your own company, you can
people. There may be some business they have to walk call on to provide that value. Rather than being
away from. product-oriented, we’re going to have to be
more process-oriented around the customer’s
operations.”
“No longer can a company profess to be
an ‘all in one’ company that can do everything J. Michael McNallen, Vice President
for the client. Those days are over. It’s almost North America Gases
come full circle. Years ago, business was Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
very focused and then it became ‘we can
do everything.’ Now it’s returning to being a
focused business and delivering from its core Success in the future will demand that company leaders
strength.” create an environment in which learning to change is
Tony Falbo, President, CEO welcomed and even embraced. Going one step further,
Qore Business Solutions, Inc. it demands that companies develop a process to plan for
and exploit change. In other words, success will hinge on
getting people used to the unexpected turns and twists in
the road, rather than resisting them.
Change Is a Given ... Not all will be ready or even able to change. Successful
the Speed of Change Is the Challenge companies will develop processes to identify their
employees’ strengths and weaknesses. With that
knowledge, they will place people in the tasks and
jobs for which they are best suited, and in which they
“We’re in a disposable society. If you can’t can most benefit the company and the customer. They
answer (the customer’s) questions now, while will train and incentivize their workers to do the jobs
he’s talking to you, he can just get on the that are most critical to the company’s success.
Internet or talk to somebody else and, if they
provide the answer, then that’s who they’re
going with. If I say, ‘I’m going to have to get “Any company is only as good as the
back with you after I check on it,’ then you’re weakest link. We must continually move
off to the other supplier.” people around to gain the appropriate
experience. AON’s strategy is based upon
Gregg Sink, VP/GM frequent moves.”
Federal Signal
Patrick Thomas, Sales Director, AON
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teams who can assemble when needed, disband when uccessful companies of the future will study
no longer needed, and regroup when a new need has their customers and learn how to provide
been identified. them exceptional value and, most importantly,
clearly articulate that value to them. They’ll cut
through the jargon, the marketing “hype,” and tackle
Self-Knowledge the simple questions: What’s in it for the customer?
How is this product or service going to give the
customer a competitive advantage? How will it save
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inning companies will have learned the value the customer money?
of evaluating their internal and external
processes on a regular basis. It will be critical
to understand where and how to cut their costs – a “Clients now are really looking at every
continuing need in the future. Such evaluation can help dollar that they spend and saying, ‘How do
them recognize that the technology they implemented we get value of this?’ So, number one is them
several years ago is outdated or unnecessary, or that getting value. We need to look at how do we
steps they built into their manufacturing processes in make our company more effective in the eyes
response to market conditions of several years ago are, of our clients and that’s not just making our
today, costing them time and money. company more effective or more efficient, but
how do we demonstrate it?”
“The bottom-line is the people. Unless we J. Miller, Sales Director, AST
get the really good people, we will not be able to
become a cost leader. And that is the only way
to thrive when the margin is going down and the Having communicated the value of their products and
selling price is going down. In order to improve services, successful companies will have the courage
the bottom-line, we need better cost efficiency.” to ask for higher prices, when they are warranted. And
commit only to the customers who care enough to pay.
Bapak Joshua Ashali
Sales and Marketing Director
PT Lautan Luas Tbk “We need to understand what our
customers ask from us and then we need to
charge for activities that they want us to do.
Successful companies will learn that just introducing It’s the old activity-based costing module. We
new features or benefits to their existing products need to look specifically at every customer
or services may not help them in the market. They and determine ‘break even.’ We have to make
will develop the skill to think outside the box, and sure we’re not losing money. And for a sales
recognize that understanding and responding to guy, I hate to say this but sometimes you
customers’ ever-changing needs may require them actually have to fire some accounts.”
to develop entirely new products and services. Some
companies, particularly those with strong engineering Gary Skura, CEO, Buffalo Hospital Supply
traditions, may have difficulty embracing such
“outside the box” thinking. Yet successful ones will
change their mindset from “How can I build a better Not only will successful companies work to improve
product,” to “What does my customer need?” The end communications with their customers and prospects,
result might not be another product, but a new service, they will improve intra-company communications
or the discontinuation of an existing service, or the as well. If one part of the company learns something
shelving of a product while still in the development important about a process or market or customer, it has
to be communicated to all that might benefit. Sharing
“Very few sales forces have good “I think companies are going to have
relationships with their human resources to rethink roles that older employees can
functions today and I think they’ve missed the play, because they’re either going to want
boat. Because a good HR function that can to stay in the workforce longer, they’re not
get people, help them keep people, and help going to want to retire sooner, or they’re not
them develop people is, on the face of it, an potentially going to be able to retire sooner.
extraordinarily great advantage for every sales And companies are not going to ... companies
organization to have.” can’t afford to lose that knowledge base. So I
Gary Tubridy, Senior Vice President think one thing is with older workers, they’re
going to have to figure out new or modified
The Alexander Group roles that they can play, but they’re not going
to want full-time jobs potentially. So, I think
T
that’s one area that companies are going to
op sales executives believe that an effective human
have to rethink.”
resources effort will be a key ingredient for success
in the future. Rather than focusing merely on Mike Rude
compensation, insurance, or pension issues, tomorrow’s Vice President of Human Resources
HR professionals will play a crucial role in the changing Stryker Corporation
management process. Successful companies will develop the
know-how to put the right people in the right positions at the right
time, with the right values and the right skills and drive. They Successful companies will recognize that with diversity
will recognize that is the only way to avoid lost productivity and comes strength. They will help their employees
the need to fire those who are ill-suited to their jobs. respect each other’s differences in nationality, values,
or language. They will recognize the talents and
contributions of older workers.
“It’s a continuous battle to have and keep
quality people that have a real desire and
attitude and aptitude for the business. To find “It’s all about being able to manage diversity.
those people is one main thing but then to hold That’s a broad term for a lot of things. It’s not just
on to them becomes even more difficult.” race and gender. It’s about managing people who
have diverse lives, understanding different cultures,
Randall Seidl, Managing Executive understanding what motivates one employee over
Corporate and Global Markets, Telkom another. And if they aren’t successful at that, they
will not be good managers.”
Effective HR departments in the future will help top Duane Miller, Executive Director
management understand that the demands of the market GM Parts Business Channel
require a new kind of employee – one who can become
a true “student” of his or her customers, and who
is prepared to articulate the company’s value to the They will understand with the impending retirement
customers. Only through better recruitment and constant of the Baby Boomers, they must prepare for the future
training – as well as an exciting, non-threatening, and by cultivating strong young leaders. They will make
even fun place in which to work – can companies expect an effort to know what their employees aspire to, and
to retain their key people. how they can help those employees reach their goals.
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expertise, effective communication skills and hile this report reflects the
are proven aggregators of information. We will overwhelming view of the great
invest to bring their careers forward by putting majority of leading sales executives,
sales methodology around their experiences there were exceptions. Not all believed that a
and make them into the effective salespeople major investment in developing an in-depth
who can bring together teams and put together understanding of individual customers was
solutions that master the clients’ requirements.” practical, with or without technology.
Brooke Smith, Vice President
Sales and Marketing, Corridor Consulting “With 15,000 dealers today, CRM
is not a viable proposition. I cannot
manage relationships with 15,000
Successful companies will resist the pressure to dealers. What I can manage better
compete with their competitors solely on price. People is an effective system of working
would rather work for a dynamic organization that is that facilitates good relationships
changing and improving its offerings to its customers – between my people and the dealers,
and profits as well. The trick, of course, will be to keep transparency in operation, fairness
a close eye on the company’s workforce without losing in operation, a regular system, a
sight of the customer. It’s a balancing act. Successful promise of delivery of product or
companies will never lose sight of that. service quality, the type of activities I
do with him to create demand at his
shop, the promise of some amount
of brand pool or demand pool
“Ultimately, it’s the quality of all the people,
that facilitates this. I can generate
and the skills they bring to the table. And there
sales for the dealer. The possibility
are no shortcuts or easy ways to find them.”
of conflict reduces. And then it is
John Podowski, Director then easier for the salesperson to
develop relationships.”
Strategic Business Development
Halliburton Energy Services K.B.S. Anand
VP Sales and Marketing
Asian Paints
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hat roles will sales play, and how will sales have to change or develop in order to drive their company’s growth?
“The new and most critical role of the salesperson will be to manage the relationship
with the customer and not to execute the various action steps. This may require 18 months
to train them to be process-oriented and strategic and not just think of the short-term.”
Nick Georgis, Senior Vice President, Schwab Institutional
The culture change for both salespeople as well as all the other functions within the corporation will be dramatic and
often painful. Not only will they need to learn new strategies to engage, understand, and respond to customers, they will
have to learn to grow the business within each customer or target other customers that offer growth opportunities.
H
For this to occur, salespeople will operate less like islands ands-down, sales executives believe that
(“This is my account and don’t go near it!”) and more salespeople can no longer be (or be perceived to
as team members. Those who cannot or will not will be be) product-pushers. The idea of a company’s R&D
liabilities to their companies. and manufacturing departments dreaming up products that
they think customers want, and then pushing them out to
their customers, will lead to a company’s death.
“I don’t think the salesman of the future
will still belong to a sales and marketing To overcome their past reputations, many sales forces will
organization. He will belong to a business unit have to reposition themselves to add value. Their efforts
or to a group that is much more focused on the must be perceived as being in the best interest of the
customer than the traditional functional parts customer by providing technical business advice beyond
of the organization like sales and marketing the application of their product.
organizations.”
Daniel Civera, Asia Business Manager, ST
Microelectronics Asia Pacific “For individual salespeople the difficulty is
re-learning many new diversified technical and
professional skills and for sales managers the
Relationship building with customers will continue to be difficulty is to plan and motivate the resources
vitally important for the sales force. But the salesperson will for growth.”
have to keep in mind that he represents a larger entity - the
company – and that he must draw on all of his organization’s
Joel Chong, Technical Sales Manager
strengths to provide solutions to his customers. To support NEC Corporation in Asia Pacific
this newer role, compensation concepts for sales will have to
go through a major re-alignment. Compensation will focus
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on the corporation, and you … “Didn’t you
hat will salespeople do with the knowledge they lose such and such a deal? I mean could you
gain of their customers’ businesses? They must really be doing all that well.” He asks the hard
first communicate it to their companies, and then questions so that when once they’ve had the
help their companies translate it into reproducible, saleable formal training, the situational training and then
solutions. Only those reps that can give up the independent you put them through this, when they come
and autonomous “island” mentality will succeed. out there isn’t much in the way of a challenge
that they haven’t already seen. So they’re not
To be the point force to gather new market needs and new
unprepared to respond to it.”
market solutions and bring them back to the enterprise is
time-consuming, so salespeople who work against a financial Ronald Sable
performance standard will have to be rewarded for taking Sr. VP Public Sector, Guardent
time out from selling to work with their peers in the office.
Those administrators, manufacturers, marketing, and finance In some ways, salespeople will also be catalysts of change
people on the inside will have to recognize the importance for their customers, say the respondents. By virtue of
of the salesperson in their overall operations. The sales force their exposure to a broad segment of customers, they can
can be the “voice of honesty” in the organization, speaking convince their customers to do things differently, to employ
the customers’ truth, rather than that of management. new business models or technologies.
New Kinds of Relationships If it’s true that selling will become more of a science and less of
an art, then it’s also true that the skills required for outstanding
salesmanship can be transferred to new sales reps. Companies
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ome companies will rely on telemarketers and that can affect such transfers through training programs will
the Web to present products to their customers. strengthen themselves for the future.
In these companies, salespeople will be expected In the future, formal education will become an important part
to focus on selling company-to-company solutions, not of the salesperson’s resume. Companies will recruit graduates
just products. with degrees in sales because they will have already learned
the basics of this new science or technology of sales.
M
But for salespeople to cease being islands, product-pushers
anagement’s role in sales will evolve as well. No or golf pros, they must see some payoff. After all, change
longer will sales managers be needed primarily is hard. Management must see to it that the money is there.
to help close difficult sales. Rather, sales But at the same time, they will have to show reps that the
managers will have to train their people how to earn the rules have changed. Statements like “My accounts are my
respect of ever-more-sophisticated customers. accounts and my job is my job” just won’t cut it any more.
%
Sales managers need to see global picture; market, not sell
Learning more advanced selling techniques, relationship differentiation
p Adapting to change
Professional Sales
Will Be Taught in Our Colleges along with Every Other Business Major
“Companies spend billions of dollars in research and development ... and millions in setting up
infrastructure in their companies. But few companies really invest a whole lot of time or money in
training the people who have to sell, which is, if not the most vital role, among the most vital roles within
a successful organization. You’ve got to have a great sales team and few companies spend a lot of
money doing it. So, if more salespeople could get a formal education it would really be a great thing.”
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he biggest challenge for many salespeople will be learning their own “territories” as their own businesses or profit centers
that they are part of a team. Traditionally, salespeople be they geographically, product line, or customer based. But the
were drawn to the trade because of the entrepreneurial- “territories” and private fiefdoms of the past that have been so
like sense of autonomy, independence, and the desire to have dearly controlled will become increasingly obsolete, particularly
personal control of their own destiny. Many salespeople handle as globalization expands the market.
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roducts and services are becoming more complex.
Chief Operating Officer – Watches
Selling is not a one-person job anymore. Not only will Titan Industries Limited, India
salespeople have to get used to working in teams with
their sales colleagues, they will have to get used to working
in shifting, ad hoc teams – virtual teams, depending on the Managers will evolve into “grand conductors” of all the
task or customer at hand. resources their companies can bring to a particular client.
They will prioritize resources, bring together teams, then
motivate those teams to fill individual customers’ needs.
The challenge for sales managers in such an environment is They will also be challenged to serve as watchdogs to
creating compensation systems that recognize the individual make sure that ideas don’t go too far afield.
contributions of each member of these ad hoc teams.
To some extent, sales managers may have to insert
Salespeople will also have to recognize that the people themselves between the sales reps and their customers
“back home” are an important part of the team. They in order to reinforce the notion that the company – not
will be challenged to bring back information about their the sales rep – owns the customer, say some respondents.
customers’ needs to people inside their organizations, This will take time, effort, attention, and guts on the
including those in marketing and product development. manager’s part.
Then, having worked with their colleagues to craft
solutions to address their customers’ needs, the sales force
will be expected to deliver the solution to customers in an
easily understandable way.
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ccepting key changes will be an important challenge
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for salespeople in the years ahead. Salespeople, like ome executives believe that salespeople were spoiled
all of us, can become complacent. They expect in the 1990s by an abundance of business. Many
today to be like yesterday. But in the future, they’ll have to companies grew through acquisition, and, as one
not only accept change but expect and embrace it. sales leader says, business was “handed off” to reps. Few
had to scour for new accounts and market share. But now,
Salespeople face a unique challenge in that, to a large they are facing that challenge. The question is, can they act
extent, they can control how much money they make as hunters and find new business? And can their managers
if they are highly commissioned. If they reach a point devise incentive systems that reward salespeople for
where they’re comfortable, they may see less of a need rousting up new business?
to hustle. They may resist finding new customers,
mastering new sales technologies, or learning more There is little doubt that only a small percentage will
about the industry they serve. develop the talent-based skills to excel at new business
development. True “hunters” are hard to find. One key
Consequently, sales managers will have to encourage, and will be to distinguish those who can hunt (and few
sometimes force, their people – especially the older reps – hunters do a good job of customer service after the
to take advantage of productivity-enhancing technologies, close) and those who can maintain and penetrate existing
such as PDAs and laptops. accounts. Often the skills for both are so different they
are not interchangeable.
In addition, they will have to create the kinds of
changes that will keep their people enthusiastic, It’s possible that cost control issues will assign the
challenged, and motivated. “hunting” role to field reps supported by “farmers” who
remain inside and continue to support and penetrate the
Young people raised during “easier” times will represent newly acquired customer.
a different problem. During the growth decade of the Managers will be challenged to match salespeople to these
nineties everybody was buying. Sometimes selling didn’t very specific but different objectives and monitor their
require much more than answering the phone. People salespersons’ performance and activity goals.
raised in these times aren’t used to frequent objections or
very long stress cycles. Whether selling from inside or out in the field, the product
line and services will become more complex and their
market complexity will also grow.
“In order to motivate and energize the
young people that are coming up nowadays, “As we introduce more and more new
employers are going to have to be able to products, how do we keep our sales force from
understand the nature of the beast and be able becoming generalists? How do we structure our
to cater to, and motivate, these kinds of folks. sales force and create channels within the sales
Some of the things that motivate me aren’t force to properly address the different markets
going to motivate them.” that are available to us?”
Robert Parisi Crawford Lipsey
Group President Domestic Market, Dendrite Vice President & General Manager, Holophane
At the same time, the salesperson himself or herself Rather than service just one site, a salesperson may
will have to take responsibility for balancing work and sometimes have to service multiple sites scattered
home life. Given the ease with which people can work around the world. They will have to learn how to
at home – laptops, cell phones, PDAs, etc. – the need to think globally, become broader in their thinking, and
do so will become greater than ever. understand what their customers’ needs are around the
world. High-performing salespeople may be asked to
become global account managers.
“In two or three years we’ll be able to
access I00% online, even having more and Meanwhile, managers will have to learn how to motivate
more training available online rather than their salespeople, who may be spread around the globe, to
face-to-face classes. And when office space use technology, so they can keep in touch with each other
becomes a premium and we can’t afford it, and their peers. It’s part of fostering the team mentality.
reps working from home will need the tools
that they can use to manage their accounts Rather than adopting a simplistic push mentality,
and manage their funnel. You know, it’s funny, tomorrow’s salespeople will have to work with their
when we talk to some of our competitors and marketing departments to create “pull” for their products.
other people that we know in the industry you In other words, rather than dumping products onto their
would think are probably utilizing a big CRM distribution channels, tomorrow’s sales force will have to
package, sadly, they have had to strip it down help the dealer move that product off his shelf.
to next-to-nothing just to be able to live with
it because they just can’t work with anything In such a system, the sales manager will have to
that’s so complex.” facilitate good relationships between the manufacturer’s
salespeople, the dealers, and the end consumers. They
Donna Walker, Director of Sales Operations will have to exhibit transparency in their operations,
Corporate Express fairness, a standardized and reliable system, and product
and service quality.
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lobalization may prove to be one of the Top sales executives predict that good salespeople will
most difficult challenges facing tomorrow’s be in demand in most sectors of the economy in the
salespeople. years ahead. Consequently, sales managers will have to
adjust themselves to the fact that they may be able to
hold on to their best reps for briefer and briefer periods
of time because competitors will sometimes make an
offer that’s just too good to be passed up. Tomorrow’s
sales managers will be challenged to get new reps up
to speed as fast as possible, and to make sure that the
transition from the old to the new rep is as smooth as
possible, so as not to disrupt the company’s relationship
with its customers.
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eps will be challenged to view their profession as
a science, not as an art. Instead of playing golf and “Most sales managers also sell themselves.
buying lunch, they will have to become students of Their strengths for building a team are generally
their clients and the industry they serve. Some sales leaders weak. They need to be trained to coach a larger
believe that in order to truly understand their customers, team and also to guide them on a day-to-day
salespeople will have to spend several months actually basis. Most sales managers look only at sales
working in a customer’s organization. This way, the targets and achieving them. They also have to
salesperson is drawn away from focusing on his company’s take care of the team working for them – training
products, and drawn toward understanding what drives his them, making them aware, going out with them,
customer’s business. correcting them on a daily basis, giving them
keys for improvement so that sales goals and the
corporate goals are achieved. The profile of the
“It involves really looking under the covers sales manager has to be enhanced so that they
hard enough to figure out not just how to serve are accountable not only for sales but also for the
your client, but your client’s client, and not just quality of salesmen.”
your client’s client, but also the industry that
they’re part of.” Ganesh Srinivasan, General Manager
Qatar, Gulf Incon
Dan Garrett, VP & Managing Partner of
Global Health Solutions
Computer Sciences Corporation Managers will have to motivate their salespeople in the face
of such challenges. They’ll also have to help solve back-end
problems, so their reps are free to do what they do best – sell.
Solid relationships breed customer loyalty, which helps (The customers will appreciate the improvements as well!)
reps and customers weather such storms as price hikes or
logistics hang-ups. In addition, managers will have to help their people develop
and articulate the value proposition for the customer, instead
Becoming consultative sellers, rather than peddlers of of worrying merely about who hit their quota.
products with identifiable features and benefits, will be
a challenge for salespeople in future years. Salespeople Some top sales leaders believe that sales managers may
will have to help their customers identify their needs, then have to become “managing executives” over particular
translate them into action. industries. In other words, they will have to become experts
on the industry into which their people sell.
“Even when we are talking about large “Sales managers, now, are different animals.
construction equipment or any other major They actually have to think and they need to be
equipment industry, customers are going to more specialized. The sales managers now need
be in the service lane. They are not interested to focus on their discipline. Now their discipline
in buying products, they are interested in could be ERP systems, it could be integration of
buying service. That’s the biggest mindset Legacy systems, it could be specific intellectual
challenge I’m facing.” property in mining or in manufacturing, it might
Glenville da Silva, Vice President & General be use of Microsoft application products and so
on. But, it’s very difficult to find a sales manager
Manager Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited that has a grasp across the board so what
you tend to do is now have overriding sales
A further challenge for salespeople will be to handle a growing managers looking after a bunch of specialist
number of customers. As they become more successful and sales managers who we can guide in the broad
capture more of an account’s business, they also adopt more sales principles, but the industry knowledge or
of the account’s and the company’s inevitable problems. So, the focus on particular discipline comes lower
instead of thinking and acting strategically, they may spend down in the organization. You’re having to have
more time fixing errors, resolving pricing discrepancies, quite skilled sales managers lower down the
finding the status of orders, etc. In this environment, they organization. Two levels down from me we have
may have difficulty keeping their spirits up. They may think very skilled sales managers.”
the ship is sinking when, in reality, they may simply have J. Miller, Sales Director, AST
gained more of the account’s business.
A
Moreover, reps will have to get used to being “on the line”
s companies look to the future, they know that
with their customers. No longer will they able to sell and
they will enjoy less margin for error in servicing
run. In the past, they could tell the customer, “You will see
their accounts. There’s less margin opportunity.
improved results if you buy this product.” In the future they
Companies will have to simply walk away from business
will have to come back to the customer and prove that that
if, after careful analysis, they calculate they won’t receive
customer did indeed benefit from the product or service.
an adequate margin on it. Or, they will ask their sales reps
to deliver an invoice for the technical help he or someone
else in the company gave that customer, for example. That’s
difficult for a rep to do, especially if he or she doesn’t
understand finance and the cost of operations. Reps will
have to become educated on profit and loss, the value of
money, and even credit terms.
“Developing and maintaining our global presence is key. Larger clients demand global solutions. We need
the capability to deliver wider ranges of products and services across a wider geography to a wider range of
industry sectors.”
Brian Roffee, Business Development Manager, Schlumberger/Sema
“The economy today dictates globalization. When that happens the lowest cost producer will move products to
the highest price markets. That flow will start to be constrained only by the logistics of movement. There will be more
competition so the role sales has to play is to hold the local advantage, and learn how to keep the advantage.”
Ram Sharma, Managing Director, Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd
G lobalization remains as a dominating challenge for all growing companies, and will continue to be in the future.
Regardless of whether aggressive companies are pursuing new markets around the world, or are defending
themselves from the incursions of foreign competitors on their own turf, globalization is here today.
Globalization will also tend to level the competitive playing field.
Think Globally, Act Locally Perhaps the biggest challenge for companies pursuing new
overseas markets is figuring out to what extent they need to
accommodate local interests, and to what extent they need
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ompanies that already sell in different markets to project one global image throughout the world.
worldwide as well as those who are now seeking
new overseas markets must reconcile themselves to “As the number of alternatives goes up in a
the fact that they have to adopt processes that may differ global environment, our opportunity becomes a
dramatically from those they’re accustomed to. No longer little bit more difficult. As the number of business
do they have the luxury of focusing on just one culture, one situations or considerations that we’re promoting
marketing and production plan, and one sales force. They goes up, the more complex it may be to manage
must, on the one hand, learn how to maintain their own our company through to a sales success. (It) is also
“home court” local advantage, in the face of new, or just a challenge to interface with some of our larger
stronger, existing overseas competitors, while still reshaping global customers when they have a dispersed
themselves to establish a global advantage, too. Marketing buying center, and we need commonality of
their knowledge, products, and services throughout the approach but with the ability to customize locally.”
world requires a new “international” approach.
Rick Butler, Director
“Management will need global supporting Global Sales Compensation & Recognition
partners (one-stop shopping) to help them Lucent Technologies
make the existing management process more
simple and effective. They’ll have to work with What kind of a sales force should the company deploy? Should
specialized consultants to smooth out their effort they be local citizens, or should they be people from the
to adopt a global approach to penetrate and company’s country of origin who circulate among the countries
serve the market, i.e., use Deloitte & Touche or in which their customers have outlets? Some top sales officers
internationally capable training companies and steer their companies toward expatriates, who move from country
so forth.” to country. They can learn the unique environments in which they
Peter Ladishensky, Export Director are stationed, but still have broad enough experience with the
company to project some uniformity throughout the world.
William Demant – Oticon Denmark A/S
The tough news is that not all salespeople will be capable of
making the transition and learning the new skills – technical,
Perhaps the biggest lesson that companies will have to cultural, and business – that will be required to compete in the
learn is that they won’t have as much control of their global marketplace.
destinies as they did when they sold locally.
As the successful companies become multinational, they “I think globalization will bring about more
will diversify geographically to maximize the use of possibilities. More financial products will be needed.
talent, cost efficiencies, and distribution effectiveness. And eventually all this will be just too much for a
Production may be based in one country, marketing in lot of agents that cannot keep up and will leave the
another, and sales throughout the world. The winners will business. They will leave a bigger path for those
learn how to continue to make their people feel important that are willing and want to upgrade themselves.”
in spite of great distances, language barriers, and cultural Tan Gim Cheong
idiosyncrasies. Otherwise, workers get lost in the shuffle. Financial Services District Manager
Asia, AIA Insurance
Market Entry
The New Buyers
E O
ntry strategy has become critical in today’s worldwide
markets. Companies have to think through their strategy ne challenge facing sellers in worldwide markets
carefully. “What markets will we pursue?” “Who are is determining how coordinated their new buyers
the competitors?” “What are the returns?” “Will we employ really are. Can the central office in Johannesburg
local dealers in geographies which lack a sales and marketing tell London or New York what to buy?
infrastructure, or will we send in our own people?”
Nationalism is frequently seen as a number-one priority,
To be the first to enter a new global market requires particularly as world tensions mount.
quick penetration because good ideas, best practices,
and benchmarks are quickly identified and adopted by
the competition. “The one good thing that came out of
September 11th is the fact that a lot of places
that would have outsourced things overseas
“Business needs to benchmark themselves are beginning to think that maybe we need to
globally. You have to spread your net far and keep them within the states.”
wide and look at companies and businesses
in the Far East and the farthest corners of the J. Christopher Brunjes
world. Benchmark where the same products Director of Business Development
and services could be done differently. Unless Mindbank Consulting Group
that is done, you are always at risk of someone
coming at your business and eating away your
market share from some other corner of the Some respondents believe the purchasing function of
world without notice and without you really multinational companies is indeed becoming more
being prepared for it.” centralized. They believe that the Internet and other
Vinay Rajadhaksha technological and communications tools are hastening
the trend.
Software Business Unit Head, Europe
L&T Infotech They worry about their international customers’ ability
and desire to lump together all of their worldwide
purchases and seek a discount on all. To avoid the
On the other hand, perhaps many companies will have to discount dilemma, sellers have to understand how
follow the leader after the market has been softened, and their products and services affect the profit-and-loss
try to grab some market share. of their international customers, and then quantify the
value they bring to those customers. In many ways,
The sales force will still prove to be a crucial element. this is no different from the challenge facing one-
It is they who must “read” the market and its customers country-only companies.
to find out exactly what they want and need. Customers
in a buyer’s Denmark office might buy more of product Some sellers have set up global accounts teams to present
“A” than those in the buyer’s Cairo office. Sales and one company face to their multinational customers.
marketing strategies must be adjusted accordingly. Others have turned to what they refer to as “enterprise
selling.” In other words, salespeople throughout the
Selling in new markets will epitomize the concept world keep in touch with one another in order to develop
of “situational selling” and tailoring the company’s one face and one solution to the customer in all its far-
offerings to specific geographic needs.
Some survey respondents believe the centralization of Scott Schafer, VP of Sales and Marketing
some multinational buyers is “more sizzle than steak”. Reynolds & Reynolds
They say that some so-called “global procurement
offices” exist primarily to drive down sellers’ prices,
not to coordinate worldwide purchases. Others say that
global contracts stand for little more than “Give me
the same product at the same price everywhere in the Financial Forces
world.” Sellers have two choices: they can fight that
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trend, or they can work to provide what their customers
want (so long as margins don’t creep too low). Most top ompanies of all types i.e., those seeking new
sales executives believe that globalization will produce global markets as well as locals encountering
many more positive effects for those companies that new competitors from overseas, will have to
address it well. accommodate themselves to some new realities. Lower
tariffs bring lower prices, making it necessary for the
hometown incumbents to improve their efficiencies.
“One of the best results is because we use
people with different job expertise in different Companies will now find themselves at the mercy of the
countries. For sales, a new culture gets global market. If that market goes into a downturn, so
ingrained. For example, in India personalized too does your company. What’s more, in an environment
sales calls are extremely important. When of worldwide recession, sellers look to markets that are
you go into sales, the customer expects growing, and they price accordingly. The result is that
to see you before he strikes the deals. In the competition stiffens that much more in a recessionary
America, a lot of key sales calls happen on environment.
the telephone, well, it doesn’t happen in India.
We are now beginning to see that in India a Many overseas opportunities – at least from the
lot of customers are happy to have a lot of perspective of American and many European companies
discussions on the phone including technical – are emerging Third World countries. Can companies
discussions. That’s one change coming from entering these markets help Third World economies
the effects of globalization.” grow? That spells opportunity for global competitors
with superior selling and marketing techniques.
Anand Shankaran
General Manager – Sales Wipro Infotech
The Bright Side of Competition
Companies seeking new overseas markets will have to
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build both a sales and service infrastructure that will
satisfy their new customers. Local incumbents will ompanies who themselves are facing competition
hold the advantage since they already provide sales on their home turf from overseas competitors
and service from the country in which they operate. have to learn about a new set of adversaries.
Again, because competition in new markets will Some new competitors will operate far more efficiently
increase rapidly, newcomers won’t have much time to than the local companies. Unless they can adapt quickly,
establish their sales and service capabilities. locals will be swallowed up.
Local companies should also expect the newcomer to “There’s an advantage for a company
raid their sales ranks. There’s no way to avoid it. That’s that’s global, when we’re not doing real
why incumbents should be developing adequate strength well on our earnings locally our Asia group
in the ranks to withstand the threat. is kicking butt. (With) globalization of a
company, you can ride the benefits of the
Globalization opens up new opportunities for dollar or of seasonality, and be (protected)
companies to leverage, i.e., “global best practices.” by being geographically counter cyclical.”
Not only do new competitors bring new people to the
market, but they also bring new ideas. Companies that James Velordi, Director of Solutions Selling
are willing to learn from them will be more successful. PolyOne Corporation
They’ll open their eyes to new ways of doing things
instead of naively assuming they’re safe. Competitors
that redesign their business processes quickest will be
able to capitalize on the opportunity.
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g Used to install accountability
Information
Will Be the Most Critical Support Tool for the Successful Sales Force of the Future
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n spite of “information overload,” salespeople who can integrate information about their customers, their own
companies, and the industry they serve will be the most successful in the years ahead. Companies that can pass data
to their salespeople quickly and help salespeople pass information back from the field, will be out front.
IT, MIS, and CRM all add up to instant, real-time information about customers. The key will be making that information
easy to access and use. Wireless technology will offer the most dramatic gains.
That said, many companies will be challenged to balance the benefits of data with the warmth and trust of personal contact
between customer and salesperson. Electronic tools are only adjuncts to the selling process, not substitutes for it.
“Yes, you can look at your client on this computer screen, but if you don’t have ... eyeball-to-
eyeball contact, you lose the feeling. Selling is basically a transfer of feelings. If people can feel what
you say, they’re buying. They will listen to your solutions.”
Tan Gim Cheong, Financial Services District Manager, Asia, AIA Insurance
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echnology tools can help salespeople learn about form of dead or slow-moving inventory.
their customers, including their customers’ new
product development efforts and financial health, In retailing, information will actually shift responsibilities
and even about their customers’ customers. Without that back to the supplier. This gives rise to the so-called
information, field sales won’t understand customers’ needs “category manager,” whose job it is to monitor inventory
and circumstances, and won’t develop the best solutions to movement and help the retailer make crucial pricing or
address those needs. other business decisions.
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CRM systems can flag exceptions, too. If a major customer or data to be useful, it must be portable, or easily
or dealer has failed to buy anything, the company can act accessed. Wireless technology is a sine qua non. IT
quickly and contact the customer, avoiding unpleasant will provide sales reps with a three-pronged real-
surprises at the end of the month or quarter. The customer time information tool, including communication:
may be unhappy. Perhaps something has happened in his
territory. Maybe the customer needs training in a product, 1. With the customer
service, or process. 2. With the home office
3. With other salespeople
Learning the Customer’s Business They’ll get updates about a client prior to getting out of their
cars, or retrieve e-mails while traveling to their next call.
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They’ll know in real time if a new lead has materialized, or
nformation can also help salespeople understand their a customer has called with a problem.
own companie’s financial situation, and their potential
role in improving it. Accessible accounting systems, Conversely, salespeople will report the results of the sales
for example, will help salespeople understand revenue call, and let the office know immediately what product,
and margin per client, and whether a particular client is service, or other new opportunity may be available and to
profitable or not. what price the customer may respond.
When handled properly, customer information will help the The salesperson’s role as the “point person” between the
top sellers become much more sophisticated in how they customer and the business will be reinforced.
deploy their salespeople and service their clients.
“It’s about the salesperson bringing the
organization to the client, and having the
“(Envision) an electronic war room, in salesperson bring the client to the organization.”
which a reviewer regularly examines key data
from the company’s top accounts, in order to Craig Wilson
make sure that the company understands the Director of Corporate Marketing
client “drivers” and makes the proper contacts International Paper
with the client.”
J. Miller, Sales Director, AST Productivity will improve, because the salesperson
doesn’t have to contact or, worse yet, return to the office
to get information.
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echnology will improve efficiency and reduce costs. Technology will also support the pre-sales marketing
Video conferencing saves the time and expense effort in ways never before imagined. As markets get more
of flying four or five salespeople and experts to complex, more diverse, and difficult to address through
a client’s site to talk about supply chain solutions, an face-to-face channels: Internet, email, and other new
unexpected design problem, or nearly any other immediate technologies will emerge to fill the gap.
customer challenge.
By posting tools like sales presentations on their Web site, “The significant message that we have at
companies will ensure that all of its sales force communicate Interface Flooring Systems, is very difficult
a consistent and professional message to customers. to funnel through our sales force alone. We
need to expand our methods of targeting
In addition, technology will spread business and customer opportunities, which are our customers. It’s
intelligence throughout the entire organization, provided critical for us to find ways to communicate to
salespeople are willing to allow that to happen. For example, these prospects, particularly those who have
if one salesperson has prepared a customer presentation but never heard from us before. We will be taking
for some reason cannot make the call, they can transmit the advantage of electronic means to reach that
presentation to someone who can. large audience and not just counting on our
sales force alone.”
“It’s kind of like handing the baton off Claude Ouiment, Sr. VP Sales & Marketing
and managing that knowledge and moving Interface Flooring Systems, Inc.
it around. This way, the company makes the
next guy just as effective as you were going to
be when you go out there.”
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This is the dream of customer relationship management. ompanies will provide added value to their customers
Call it “profiling the customer,” where every contact by sharing some of the information collected.
made with a customer, either in the field, over the phone, Transaction histories will be particularly valuable,
or via the Internet, is noted, regardless of which division as will information on the amount of money the customer
in the company is involved. All information is stored in a spent on downtime or data to support consolidated billing or
central data warehouse, which is accessible by authorized maintenance histories, as only three examples. But sharing
personnel in the company. Salespeople will more easily this kind of data will be tricky: might customers use it the
stand in for each other when necessary. next time they put their business out to bid?
Some believe that today’s IT systems will lead to “lifetime Since tomorrow’s customers will expect salespeople to
account management systems,” where information about a be equipped to help them analyze their businesses, as
customer will be stored in one centralized location, from well as provide real-time information on their products or
the beginning of the marketing cycle, through qualification, services, salespeople will need full access to every kind of
sales, and even through the point where that customer stops information that IT can provide them.
being a customer and becomes a prospect again.
With more information at their fingertips, more knowledge
Envision salespeople firing up their computers in the morning about their customers, their buying trends and histories,
and viewing the important events of the day, not only to salespeople will provide their customers with customized
review whom to call on, but what is shipping today, etc. solutions. This will apply not only to the largest accounts
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inning companies who build knowledgeable,
Customer Service Team proactive human resource departments will be
the most successful. Unfortunately, in many of
today’s companies, HR and sales have not been on the
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hile information in the hands of salespeople is best of terms, partly because HR has been perceived as
crucial to their success, so too is good customer administrative paper-pushers instead of true resources, to
service backup. A good customer service the detriment of both. In fact, a good HR department can
team will make the salesperson’s job in the field more help attract, develop, and retain the very best people.
productive. Customer service will “soften the beaches”
for field reps. They can inform customers when their “If you don’t have people in place with the
rep will be available to call on them, and they can send proper skills, you may have a product or service,
a catalog and promotional material to them prior to the but you might not have anyone to sell it.”
personal visit. By the time the rep meets the client, much
of the groundwork could have been laid, and sales can Sudipto Gangopadhyay, General Manager
begin the conversation at a more strategic level. HSBC Bank, Mumbai
In addition, a well organized, well informed, and very Offering training in sales skills will always be an important role
“professional” customer service team can help field reps for HR. But just as important is offering continuing training on
avoid pesky, time-consuming problems and service issues information technology – the tools that reps will depend on to
that drain away valuable selling time. The information will help find and provide important client information.
also help the salesperson become a more complete resource
to customers. This will make a salesperson’s “face time” Some – maybe much – of that training will be presented
with customers more productive. Real-time order tracking, online. Companies can no longer afford to keep a new
order changes, pricing availability, and product tracking will rep at the office for a month or more to receive training.
be available at the salesperson’s fingertips. Rather, reps can get some training up front, then go out
into the field and supplement it with on-line training.
The Internet will help dramatically. Commodity oriented
questions will be naturals. “What’s the price?” “When
can we expect delivery?” “Is this item in stock?” will all “Because we’re in the retail sales business,
be answered via the Internet. As a result, the role of the it’s critical for our employees to be in their seats
customer service department will change. As companies while the doors are open, which doesn’t leave
educate their customers on how to use the Internet to get us a whole lot of time to take them out of their
their questions answered, fewer customer service people seats and train them and do the things that are
will be needed to man the phones. These departments necessary to really get them to the level that
will either be downsized, or the people working in they need to be to sell as well as they can. So
them will spend time proactively penetrating existing we’re instituting things like e-learning, where
customers and allow the field sales force to concentrate they can actually be at home or at their desk
on developing new accounts. instead of taking them out of the branches and
bringing them into a classroom setting.”
In some cases, these new technologies for information retrieval
and communications will allow customer service people Frankie Nesbit-Lofton, Senior Vice
to become product specialists. As product complexity and President/Director of Sales and Service
product offerings proliferate, salespeople won’t be expected Hibernia National Bank
to be experts on all of them. Rather, they will continue to
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op sales executives caution against relying on data “We’ve invested heavily in sales force
to the exclusion of face-to-face customer contact automation, and once (our salespeople) get
and other traditional selling methods. comfortable understanding the technology
that we have to offer, both to our customers
and to our sales force, they love it. They are
“Selling is not mathematics. It’s all about in heaven because we’ve taken an awful lot
relations and about emotions and fears, of drudgery out of the job and we have given
desires, hates. Many companies lose sight them “Star Wars.”
of this fact in their desire to compile the best,
most comprehensive, most up-to-the-minute Chris Milliken, President & CEO
data systems.” Boise Cascade Office Solutions
Ram Sharma, Managing Director
Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd.
Management
CEOs of companies will make personal calls on their
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top-level counterparts among their customer base, to nformation is so important it demands a special,
impress upon them how important they are to the company. separate place in the organization. Some speak about
Important customers will expect that kind of attention. a “sales operations group,” which would serve as the
right arm of the senior sales executive. This function will
Nor can IT replace the strength of a company’s brand make recommendations based on real data about how
or products, or the trusting relationships between the many salespeople are needed and where. It will calculate
company and its salespeople, and between salespeople profitability by customer, by channel, by territory, and
and their customers. by sales rep. In essence, it will help the senior sales
executive answer the question, “Are we running this
In fact, top executives are expected to empower their business properly?”
salespeople in the field to make more on-the-spot decisions.
Customers demand it. But companies will spell out the This underscores the final “sales support need,” but
parameters under which the reps can make decisions. very non-IT point: Behind every successful sales
force is strong, effective management, both sales and
The trick will be to use information technology. Use it to marketing, that is constantly providing the sales force
supplement face-to-face contact. Salespeople will need to with strategies and tactics to help them and the company
retain the people skills and all of the other selling skills. reach their goals.
In fact, IT will actually improve their relationships if
they use it to collect even personal information such as
the birthdays and anniversaries of their customers. The
more knowledgeable the salesperson is about his or her
customer, the better received he or she will be.
While CRM systems are good and even necessary for success
in the future, they have their limitations. Some are too generic.
They try to serve everyone in the company: salespeople,
buyers, R&D, etc. By doing so, they deny that all of these
people have unique needs. The result is that salespeople don’t
get the quick business intelligence they need.
Co-opetition Both cooperating with another external organization on one part of your
business strategy and competing on the others
Customer Currency Having such an intimate knowledge of the customer’s business market,
competition, and future potential within that industry, that the customer
considers you a primary business consultant and insider
Action Learning Groups Groups organized to learn by hands-on experience while working on real
problems in real time; thus, learning how to solve problems, network, and
understand various business elements in-depth
Globally Rehearsed Testing any business strategy, including product or service merits, as well as
marketing and sales approaches, against widely diverse global market segments
and cultures to test for local acceptability and viability
Passive Bystanders Marketplace and customer decision “influencers” who are exposed to either
positive or negative information about a vendor/product/service (often in detail)
through participation in various electronic forums, chat groups, and advocacy
portals even though they’re not presently a customer; often, they will participate
in passing this “information” or “disinformation” on to others when asked for
their opinions
Establishing Wide Peripheral Vision Expanding the focus of the sales effort wider than just the customer, beyond the
customer’s industry, to the overall micro- and macro-economic factors affecting
that customer in both the near and long term
Entrepreneur without Portfolio An individual, whose drive, creativity, sense of personal control, and even
“ownership” extends well beyond that of an employee to simulate a business
person who owns his or her own business
Cultural Embodiment Being yourself, who you are, in a culture so seamlessly that you can connect
with everybody in that culture without feigning or simulating behaviors or
personal communication styles that are not natural or sincere
Coverage Agility Sufficient flexibility across sales and service functions so that market or
geographic expansion, increased customer penetration, and growth do not result
in any visible deficiencies to the customer
Value Management Tracking results and adjusting products and services provided to a customer to
guarantee that the customer’s business is improved by increasing top-line sales,
decreasing middle-line costs, or most valuably, increasing bottom-line
profitability
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