COMMENTS
Resource-Suck. xoxoxo johnonsales
or just Sucker...Dave
Sink hole sales
Black hole sales
Only large accounts can lose you large amounts of money. On the other hand many suppliers operate in Pareto Land where 20% of their customers deliver 80% of the sales volume. To treat these customers like all the others is a good way to hand them over to the competition. I have been researching key account programs and working with companies for over 10 years in the area of key account management. It is amazing how few companies have a world class key account program. Most don't even review their customer list for an in or out decision each year. I am not sure this is the fault of the account manager. More often is lies with the KAM program executives and the head of sales.
non-productive resource hog
Hello Dave
Great post.
I met a professional trainer a few years ago and he referred to salespeople who exhibit this behavior as "self serving puke".
Salespeople love to dream and think about the large commisssion they "might" earn on the huge account. They will sometimes bring any and all resources in to assess, engineer, design and scope out a project without having a committment from the prospect. The self serving puke says to his company I have a large one on the hook, just imagine how great it will be when I make the sale! All I need from the company is the right design, scope and price then I can go sell it. Of course the salesperson in this scenario doesn't care what costs are born by the employer. He thinks that the company owes him the support as cost of doing business. He thinks he will be the hero when he makes the sale.
Going after the big opportunity is both exhilarating and dangerous. But to do it using up valauble resources that are not paid for is unfair to both the employer and the potential customer.
1. The salepersons fellow employees will feel used if the sale is not made. This will diminish the salepersons credibility in the company. He will be perceived as the boy who cried wolf and also a typical salesman who only cares about himself.
Also the saleperson and fellow employees will lose out on time to service oppotunites that have better chances of becoming a sale.
2. The potential client will get something for nothing. Then, if there is an opportunity for meetings to close the sale after the client gets all the information for free, the client will expect and demand the lowest price possible with more servicing than what is reasonable.
This salesperson in this scenario usually becomes emotionally invested in the process. If the sale doesn't materialize he then blames people who gave him all the free support for making him lose the sale. This leads to loss of trust and confidence between employees in the company. Potentially, the saleperson may harm himself because he was counting on the big hit instead of going after prospects that have higher potential. Then the rut or slump occurs.
Bottom line
If you are a salesperson do everthing in your power to not be perceived as a salesman. Care about yourself, your customer and your employer equally.
Ask your clients powerful questions to become the expert, liisten, ask them if they have a problem, and if they do ask them if they want you to fix it. Close the deal and get the check!
Don't be an unpaid consultant!
Don't be a "self serving puke"
Mark Paskell
Mark - Great comments.