All companies depend on sales to sustain in the present and grow in the future. That is why the people in charge of sales often feel the most pressure to perform. That is why salespeople are paid on commission; it puts a similar pressure on the salesperson personally that the company feels corporately.
When I first began working in sales, my coworkers and I always called it “hero to zero”: the sales manager calls the top salesman to the front of the room, tells a story which illustrates hard work, dedication and drive to the rest of the sales people, turns and shakes hands with the top performer, and everyone gets misty eyed and sends their applause.
So the weekend goes by and the same sales manager realizes that the top performer has little business lined up for the following month.
Monday or Tuesday morning comes around and the top performer gets another call from the manager, but this time it’s a private meeting where he is ridiculed for having no plan for the future, “depending on last month’s bread.” It’s a bit bewildering for the individual who is working to secure a future for the family.
This is a classic case of diversion. Most companies do not have a strategic marketing plan in place which appeals to the target audience. So there is no way for the owner to predict what the sales are going to be in upcoming months. The company is completely dependant on the work of the salesperson to generate revenue. This sets up the company’s only revenue producer as the whipping boy and begins a downward spiral into low motivation, tension in the work place and a constant open eye for a better job.
A professionally designed marketing plan is the fix. The salesperson knows this is the case from the beginning when he receives the only piece of marketing which is supplied by many companies: The business card.
A marketing plan, including a publishing schedule, sets the stage for sales and marketing to work in tandem. Once the company identifies the target audience a message may then be crafted which speaks value to a group of people who use the company’s products or services. By referencing the marketing plan, the salesperson always knows which customers receive updates and promotions and when. This helps the salesperson to schedule his work so that his visits are not cold calls but rather follow ups which allow for more conversation than, “hey, how you doing? I was in the area and thought I’d stop by. The weather is great today…uh?”
In order to design a successful marketing plan, the company must understand that all customers say “no” the first time regardless of whether you’re asking for a sale, a meeting or a winning lottery ticket. The answer is “no” because the salesperson has no credibility. 90% of credibility is familiarity. A well designed marketing plan will build credibility in the minds of customers by setting scheduled touch points. In addition, it will take stress off of the salesperson because customers are receiving contact from the company even when the salesperson is busy delivering on recent sales.
A marketing plan removes the “hero to zero” syndrome by allowing the salesperson to continue the sales cycle with many different customers even when there is nothing to talk about or no time to visit.
William Fisher, Marketing Director, Vibra Design
