Are You a Salesperson or a Customer Service Person?

The title on your card says “sales.”  Your job description says “sales” and you’re part of the sales team.

If that’s the case, then why are you acting like a customer service person?

I’m not bashing customer service people. They play a key role in the sale process, but I believe strongly salespeople and customer service people are to be doing two different tasks.

Salespeople are all about maximizing revenue for their company, and they do that primarily by getting new customers and selling incremental volume to existing customers.  Additionally, they help increase revenue by ensuring sales are made at full-price without any discounts. When needed, price increases are handled properly.

That is what I see as the primary role of sales. In fact, it should be occupying at least 90% of their time.

I’m being nice here by saying salespeople can be spending 10% of their time on what I’ll refer to as customer baseline activities.

When salespeople get excited about all of the business they’re doing with existing customers and it’s nothing more than securing orders that would have come into the company regardless of what they do, then I want to scream.   In my book, that is the role of customer service.

Salespeople need to be focused on getting incremental business. This is business customer service would have little opportunity to be a able to get.

Sales managers, what behavior are you rewarding?

Are you rewarding salespeople for getting incremental business or maintaining status quo?

Salespeople, what is tripping your trigger?  Are you pumped to sell new accounts and get more business from existing customers or are you satisfied with baseline business?

The economy today is not forgiving. If you as salespeople are not focused on getting incremental business, then I really question the value of what you do for one simple reason: Customer service people cost less.

I’m not trying to scare you, but then again maybe I should.

Salespeople, focus on incremental and leave the base business to customer service.

Copyright 2013, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.