By Mark Blezard
We once referenced the sales department as 'the final frontier,' it was the part of an organisation that many dare not meddle with. So long as they are hitting their numbers, we leave them alone. Indeed, many business owners don't even know what, or how, they do what they do!
And herein lies the problem, too many sales executives think their job is an art form, a performance that only they can do because they have a superior ability to communicate, often referred to as 'the gift of the gab.' "I'm a people person, people like me."
The problem here is that the above is partially true, we do need great communication and the ability to perform. However, without proper structure to our sales methodology, each day is going to resemble this poor chap with the cables – endless leads to follow and thousands of paths to go down.
For sure, this guy has been trained and will not be bewildered by the task. And it is the same in sales, with proper structure to your process, an awkward client with multiple, irrational, objections will not wrong-foot you. You'll know exactly what to do, which cable to tug and which ones to cut.
And finally, 'communications' is actually a hard, trainable, skill. Think about it!