Recent Revelations: Neglected Sales People

I had an experience recently that shouldn’t have surprised me but it did. It happened as I started working with a $40 million software company.

My job is to help the company redefine its vision and follow through with detailed marketing and tactical plans. To gather the necessary information, I was participating in a conference call with the company’s sales people. I had a few minutes to ask some questions and proceeded to drill them about the details of how they sell, what ‘s most important to prospects and other key details.

The team was enthusiastic to share their ideas and experiences and a lot of good information came from the session. What surprised me is that many of these people said that the previous marketing team never came to them to get their input and perspective.

I’m no genius but it seems to me that the sole job of marketing is to support sales. After all, nothing happens until a sale is made. The sales team has the knowledge, experience and day-to-day contact with the most important people in our world: our customers!

If you are looking for answers, ask the sales team first. They should be among the most important people on your list. In the coming weeks, I’ll be spending more time with these valuable folks, picking their brains and learning what it takes to sell this complex product in the real world. After all, isn’t that the point?

Pete Monfre is the president of Clarity Marketing Support, Inc., a marketing firm that helps technology companies find new customers and keep them longer. He can be reached at Pmonfre@claritymarketingsupport.com. Learn more at www.claritymarketingsupport.com