The Sales Archaeologist

Let's just say that my latest client is a major airline (and it is)  that operates mainly in Europe and Asia (and they do) and your company is based here in the United States and you are in an entirely different vertical market. Do you think your concerns related to sales will have anything in common with their concerns? Maybe a few you say but surely not too many?

Well let's take a look at their top 5 concerns, areas where we are going to help them.

• New and Aggressive lower priced competitors from some of the Middle East countries that can operate with lower fuel costs.
• Sales people are scattered around the world in remote locations - how do we manage them effectively?
• Ability to develop stronger relationships with prospects sooner and at a higher level.
• Better consultative dialog with prospects.
• More drive and ambition amongst their sales people.

Now my guess would be that this list, although from a different industry and a different geography is not that different from a list that you might put together about your sales team. Some of the words might change and the details might involve different nuances however the basic principles would be the same - right?

The one thing we hear all the time is "our industry is different" and yet the facts seem to indicate that most industries are not different but the same. The challenges are different but they certainly are not unique. Why though are we compelled to always explain our particular industry as being "different"? Maybe that is a synonym for under performing and it put's the blame squarely on the uniqueness of our particular space and not on the people, they systems or the processes we use?

This leadership team said something interesting in my last conversation with them. " it is Ok for our planes and pilots to be in the clouds but we need our sales people to have their heads in the game and deal with reality".

What about you?