At the 2015 Chief Sales Executive Forum, keynote speaker Mark Colombo, SVP of Solutions & Sales at FedEx Services, explained the changing sales role and increasing value of time spent with customers.
Some highlights:
- Know the Customer – The average customer is highly educated and researches online about a company’s products and services. This can surpass the knowledge of the sales rep. Use technology as a solution and focus on making the buying experience an aha! moment. Utilize “web-ylitics” to use data to improve sales through internet presence and customer experience.
- Evolving Sales Team – Time is precious, so sales reps must make the most of the time they have with customers. Managers have to become great coaches and make selling a team sport.
- Age of the Millennial – Create a culture and effective training that can accommodate and engage both a millennial and aging sales staff. Utilize the strengths of both groups. Millennials are super-users, though they can become bored with training sessions. An aging staff has years of experience in the field but may need the added training to understand the new customer.
A business has just two functions: marketing and innovation. Their purpose is to get and keep a customer. Stop asking what keeps them up at night, and present customers with solution selling. Maintain the customer relationship, but keep in mind the disruptors that can too easily eliminate that bond.
The illustration below from graphic recorder Kelly Kingman illustrates Mark’s presentation. Enjoy!
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About the Author
Gary Tubridy is a senior vice president of the Alexander Group and the general manager in charge of the firm’s management consulting business. Gary’s consulting work is focused on increasing marketing and sales effectiveness with particular emphasis in technology and medical products industries. Gary has deep expertise in diagnosing sales management issues and helping clients execute action plans to improve results. His research is focused on best practices of leading sales organizations in North America with particular emphasis on sales force transformation and the role of sales leadership. He leads the Alexander Group executive events series and hosts the Operations and Executive Forums. He is one of three founding stockholders of the Alexander Group.
Gary has been with the Alexander Group for over 35 years. Prior to that, Gary was in sales with the IBM Corporation. Gary holds a B.A. from Brown University and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University.