| Customer Focus - Unwavering customer focus in | | | | investments an organization can make. |
| selling is crucial to success. Successful selling | | | | Speed, Tools, Technology - Success in |
| organizations continually judge their performance | | | | competitive markets demands ever-shorter |
| through the eyes of the customer. It is not their | | | | cycles for introduction of new or improved |
| ability to persuade that defines success, but it is | | | | products and services. Speed and flexibility in |
| their passionate commitment to involve the | | | | responding to customers is a critical requirement |
| customer in every facet of the business. | | | | for today's selling organization. Winning selling |
| SELLING, or more appropriately stated, "the | | | | organizations recognize that speed counts -- that |
| satisfaction of customer needs," is the | | | | it is both an offensive and a defensive weapon. |
| responsibility of everyone in your organization. | | | | They study where time is spent on each step of |
| Everyone touches the customer directly or | | | | the sales process as a basis for improving selling |
| indirectly. Everyone is a link in the chain of | | | | effectiveness. They eliminate constraints to enable |
| providing value to customers. | | | | the sales force to do things quicker and faster. |
| Anticipatory Leadership - Superior selling | | | | They look at technology solutions that enhance |
| organizations shape their futures by being | | | | the customer experience, improve individual |
| anticipatory and visionary. They are never | | | | productivity, and speed up the response to |
| satisfied with today's performance. "Raising the | | | | customer requests. |
| bar" must be the primary objective of sales and | | | | Rewards and Recognition Driven - In sales, |
| service leadership. | | | | compensation and recognition are powerful levers |
| Continuous Improvement and Learning - Superior | | | | to influence change. Superior selling organizations |
| selling organizations know that sales and service | | | | reward based on performance and contribution, |
| improvement are outcomes of deliberate, planned | | | | both at the individual level and at the team level. |
| actions over time at all levels. They have come to | | | | They monitor the compensation strategies of |
| understand that there are no quick fixes. Often, | | | | other companies, to ensure that they are able to |
| selling organizations focus on the BIG DEAL, or | | | | attract and retain the caliber employee they need. |
| the champion seller who is given accolades for a | | | | They adapt their pay plan yearly to reflect the |
| particularly strong level of achievement. While | | | | strategic changes in the organization. |
| promoting big deals or champion sellers can be | | | | Process Centered - In selling, process and |
| healthy, long-term success depends more from | | | | methodology are key. Superior selling organizations |
| both incremental and breakthrough improvements | | | | clearly define and document their sales process to |
| on the part of everyone than on spectacular | | | | ensure everyone understands the most promising |
| events. | | | | paths to success, and then execute rigorously to |
| Superior Focus on People - High-performing selling | | | | the process. They embrace one standard or a |
| organizations are meticulous in their recruiting and | | | | series of standards in how they go to market, |
| selection process as they understand that sales | | | | and then train and develop to those standards. |
| leadership begins with the hiring decision. They | | | | Measurement - While profitable revenue may be |
| define the characteristics of superior individual | | | | the primary performance yardstick, world-class |
| performance, and seek men and women who | | | | selling organizations study the factors that |
| display these competencies. They train relentlessly. | | | | influence success with a customer and apply the |
| They invest in the development of sales and | | | | appropriate measures to evaluate performance. |
| service skills, and in systems support. They look | | | | They are passionate about customer metrics, |
| to training not as an option, but as a fundamental | | | | results metrics, and process metrics. Like |
| process to communicate expectations and | | | | professional sports teams, they monitor |
| promote improvement. They understand that a | | | | performance by establishing standards and leading |
| focus on skill mastery is among the strongest | | | | indicators to assess progress. |