It is very easy to fall into a trap with the customer by extending offerings beyond that of what the company infrastructure is able to supply in a reasonable timeline.
As a salesperson, you must manage the quality of the sales process. With this context of "quality deal management" in mind, the theme cannot be to do "whatever it takes to close the deal". There must be a balance. That balance is achieved through managing expectations with the future cusotmer and with your own organization.
The deal in question must be evaluated and built around a solution that meets the goals of the customer, your company, and the ethics of the salesperson. If expectations are properly managed, the deal will adhere to these tenets and be beneficial for all parties. If communication is compromised, production capacity or delivery is stressed or the quality of the end product is sacrificed and the deal is not beneficial for all parties and may damage future business opportunities.
Many sales professionals argue that it's their job to "load the cart" and the responsibility of the operations staff to figure out how to address the requirement. While too much business may be a good problem to have, proper deal management ensures that expectations are managed in a way that will not over commit a company's operations resources regarding delivery and that the end product is what is expected by the customer within the designated delivery timeline.
Proper documentation will ease the strain of effectively communicating between the customer and the operations staff. Signed and executed documents including delivery specs, dates, item codes, product descriptions, etc. should always be a part of the process when passing the baton to another division of the company and should be maintained in duplicate in the sales folder documenting the project. The Benchmarks for ISO9000 certification from a process standard are good references when considering the handling of documentation within a sales force.
Good communication on all sides is the secret to effective deal management. I cannot stress enough that the salesperson should stay involved with both the customer and the operations/delivery team throughout implementation to ensure that there are no gaps in expectations on either side. Staying in constant communication with the customer allows the salesperson to solidify the relationship with the customer and to mitigate any communication issues or points for interpretation between the customer and the operations staff. Also, continuing communications from the sales person helps the customer to not feel like "just another number" and can almost always increase the chances for add on sales.
Integrity is the key element in deal management. Maintaining the respect of the customer and the operations staff involved will always offer the best-delivered good or service. Often times a delay or setback is better understood by a customer that has received good communications and straight forward answers from their solution provider. There is no substitute for a quality in the sales profession.
Brian is the Chairman and Founder of the the United Professional Sales Association (UPSA). UPSA is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington DC that has addressed the concerns and challenges of individual sales professionals. Brian has authored the world's first universal selling standards and open-source selling framework for free distribution. This 'Compendium of Professional Selling' containing the commonly accepted and universally functional knowledge that all sales professionals possess. The open-source selling standards have been downloaded in 16 countries by over 300 people. Over 30 people have made contributions.
Because UPSA is not owned by one person or any company, it is a member organization and guardian of the global standard of entry into the sales profession.
Find out about the membership organization and understand the processes and framework of professional selling at the UPSA Website at http://www.upsa-intl.org. Find out more about Brian at: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Brian _Lambert
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Although I never met the man, I imagine Lou Boudreau... Read More
The elements involved in building a sales force, especially one... Read More
For many years as a sales manager, I would only... Read More
According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical... Read More
Standard metrics and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) are created usually... Read More
There are four primary activities that successful salespeople engage in... Read More
Are your people consistently following your procedures? Each year, organizations... Read More
Last week I got a call from Jose, who was... Read More
Question: What do the following have in common?- I spend... Read More
While there's no easy answer to this question, there are... Read More
Help buyers discover the answers they need to understand and... Read More
Q. What's the single, biggest change exhibitors can make to... Read More
Do you need help overcoming sales objections? Do you sell... Read More
Business executives and sales managers frequently bemoan "80/20" performance on... Read More
Generous Donor RefusedPicture this. You are a fund development director... Read More
About 2 years ago, I participated in a training program... Read More
An effective way to increase your profits and sales is... Read More
There's a new year beginning now - the school year.... Read More
"(Howard) Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to... Read More
When your product is market ready and has a good... Read More
1. LOOKING for a "quick fix" to close more sales... Read More
In a small midwestern town, the local high school of... Read More
Every dollar you discount is a dollar of pure profit... Read More
Seeing the results of advertising your business can be like... Read More
I was in the depths of a major depression. As... Read More
One marketing technique may work wonders for someone, but that... Read More
Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency... Read More
Does the competition drive you crazy? Are they relentless about... Read More
If you want to maximize your sales performance, take a... Read More
I don't know about your business but in my experience... Read More
You may have heard about the "summer slowdown". You may... Read More
Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic... Read More
I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in... Read More
Standard metrics and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) are created usually... Read More
In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help them... Read More
It is very easy to fall into a trap with... Read More
I have received a number of requests for advice from... Read More
Q. What's the single, biggest change exhibitors can make to... Read More
Snowflakes are beautiful!For the Winter Holiday sales season handcrafted snowflakes... Read More
YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired,"... Read More
This article may be reprinted in its entirety with express... Read More
It's a fact - the online world dies down in... Read More
Sales managers frequently approach me for advice on how to... Read More
This month I want to share a success from a... Read More
Everybody thinks that the businesses will slow down a bit... Read More
Inspiration and Management from Within ? Part 2.The more you... Read More
Seeing the results of advertising your business can be like... Read More
I don't know about your business but in my experience... Read More
Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic... Read More
In part two we will discuss overcoming objections, which credit... Read More
If you really want to secure government contacts at the... Read More
According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical... Read More
As a previous owner of a Franchise I know the... Read More
To put it mildly most companies sales forecasting just isn't... Read More
The American Business Journals produces a Book of Lists each... Read More
As you are reading this sales article, read very carefully.... Read More
You may have heard about the "summer slowdown". You may... Read More
Of the many mistakes small business owners make, a big... Read More
Compounding the problem are two myths regarding measures of competency... Read More
I recall a heated discussion with a sales director some... Read More
I remember moving my family to Argentina as Vice President... Read More
Business development is important for every business and refers to... Read More
Is lack of sales results, more sales training costs, months... Read More
Exactly what is CRMThe idea itself is nothing new; its... Read More
I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in... Read More
Coaching is about finding out the cause of poor performance... Read More
Sales Management |