Salesforce: Impossible
It seems like a new restaurant makeover show pops up each week. By now you’ve probably seen at least one where a charismatic world class chef comes in and saves the owner from a desperate situation. I think the shows have broad appeal, because who doesn’t love to go out to eat? We all have a little content expertise and if you’re like me, you’re a sucker for a happy ending. So all of this got me wondering – what would this formulaic approach look like for a flailing salesforce?
The first thing our muscle bound celebrity chef does is taste the food. This is the basics – if you don’t have good food, people won’t eat at your restaurant. Conversely, do this well and some folks may be willing to overlook other shortcomings. For us in the sales world this equates to how you sell – the basics. Are your reps equipped to ask good questions? Do they build credibility with each interaction and do they uncover what customers need before proposing a solution? Are they able to sell value and build on unique strengths?
Next, our chef moves on to the service. Are the wait staff professional and courteous? Do they know the menu and are they able make guest feel at home? For sales professionals this is all about how we manage each opportunity. Do we have a strategy for each sale and do we make sure to understand not only the results customers are looking for but how they might personally win with our solution?
Finally, the icing on the cake – remodeling the dining room. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint and new floors can do. The equivalent in our analogy would be how we manage long term relationships. Do we put the customer at the center of everything we do and are we working to create relationships across the buying and selling organization that will establish a fertile environment for the ongoing exchange of lasting value?
If you own a failing restaurant, call Robert Irvine or Gordon Ramsey. But if your salesforce needs a makeover, call us and we’ll help you get back on track to delivering profitable revenue.
