There are two types of sales organizations. There is the sales business and then their is the sales team. They are similar in that they both are responsible for driving revenue. After that, there isn’t much more commonality. The difference is sales teams are driven by their needs. Sales Business is focused on the customer.
Sales Teams ask;
- When are you going to close the deal?
- Can you sell them more?
- Can you bring that into this quarter?
- What else can we sell them?
- What if you cut them a deal, will they buy today?
Sales Teams Focus on;
- The short-term
- Their quota
- The transaction
- The product
- Themselves and their company
- Getting to yes
- Winning and losing
- The chase, the competition
- What’s in it for them
Sales Businesses Ask:
- What are you trying to accomplish?
- What do you need to be successful?
- How will the customer benefit?
- Can we provide more value?
- How does this help?
- Why?
Sales Businesses Focus on;
- The long-term
- The market and industry trends
- The solution
- The deal
- The customers business
- The relationship
- The outcome
- The business
- What’s in it for the customer
Sales teams are about the transaction. They are motivated by the money and what they get. Sales teams are rarely around after the sale. They ignore the data, if it doesn’t help their cause. Sales teams can drive a lot of revenue but often leave a big wake while doing so.
Sales businesses are about the solution. They are driven by the outcome. They measure their success on the benefit the customer received. They allow information to guide the sale, and bet on the long term. Sales businesses drive a lot of revenue, but they also drive a lot of business.
Who do you want selling to you?