The Sales Boss

CHAPTER 19 Replicating Success

As the Sales Boss, you have the broadest view of all of the things that impact sales success. Indeed, if you are doing your job well, you have a better feel for the pulse of the company than anyone else, including the CEO. You have access to the company’s budgets; you review the marketing plans, and perhaps even sit in on some of the operations meetings. You are in the field with your salespeople and see the widest segment of companies across different geographies and market segments. Be aware of the unique insights this gives you and the ability to see how everything fits together. Remember that things that might seem obvious to you (because of the plethora of information available to you) might seem less obvious to others in your company. Be ready to make the case for things that will help replicate successes across the organization. It is not unusual for other departments to make decisions based on the silo that they exist in every day, and you bring real value to the organization when you are able to relate stories from the field.

For instance, you might discover through your regular calls with the sales team that there is a new competitor in the field that is gaining traction due to a unique product feature or positioning. Would recounting these stories to the marketing and product development teams prove valuable? Would additional research be warranted? You might understand from your discussions with your finance department that the margins ...