Of course, if you’ve been reading popular sales management magazines, you know that the correct answer to the question – “Who does the selling in your company” is “Everyone!”
While this is absolutely true and an excellent philosophy, we’ve found in our experience with aviation companies that it just doesn’t work out so well in practice.
Most aviation companies, especially in these days of leaner management, have team members wearing many hats. Pilot, accountant, engineer, office manager, marketing materials coordinator, mail sorter, and, last but not least, salesperson.
Unless there is one person who is responsible, and held accountable, for each step of the sales process, it simply won’t get done.
No sales = no profits this quarter. Or this year!
As a business owner, you know that this is a very real threat to your business.
And to the jobs of the people who work for your company.
Why don’t your team members see it this way? Why might a team member let sales tasks slide to the bottom of his priority list?
- “‘Sell’ is a four-letter word!”
- “Acquiring more customers just makes more work for me!”
- “The other things I do are more important and more fun!”
You stack that up against something that has immediate rewards, people will often end up color coding files, or cleaning the hangar floor, rather than making sales calls!
So, how do you get your people motivated to make sales?
- Hire for attitude & aptitude
- Provide Sales Training to Everyone
- Provide Incentives (WIIFM?) (What’s In It For Me?)
- Value your “Rainmakers”
- Create Frequent & Objective Accountability
Of course, each of these topics is a complete conversation in and of itself.
If you’re not a member of the Master Class, now is a good time to join!
We’ll be adding extra features in a month or two and the price will be going up – but not for members who are already enrolled.} else {.
[…] Paula Williams: Absolutely. One of the things that I underlined in this chapter was if tribes reward innovation, and innovators are happier, then why isn’t everyone doing it? And I think the reason is the same reason that people pull their punches when they’re selling. […]