Today, I’d like to dive into an area of business that’s rarely spoken of. In fact in many cases, mention of the practice is regarded as a faux pas. Often this endeavour is carried out by a team of highly specialised personnel and via extremely specific means, the very prep work needed to even discuss it, can sometimes require months of reconnaissance and careful networking. Some call it an art-form, I see it more as a sect of the dark arts (no offence — I’m writing as a superstitious programmer here) together with pick-up artistry and hypnotism — there’s even cultish-groups dedicated to its better practice, with books to buy and seminars and webinars, even support groups!
Of course, I am talking about the sales team, the crucial and expansionist heart of any successful business.
As the old adage goes: “a business that isn’t growing, is dying.” Thus the sales team is a vital part of what keeps the wheels of Cardonet’s capitalist escalade/escapade in motion.
By doing what they do best, the sales team not only allows the business to make more money but also to diversify, to take on projects that couldn’t be attempted before, to learn and teach and ultimately to stave off boredom.
In our industry, when a company is allowed to flourish in this way, so too are the staff because complexity requires better knowledge, thus the team gain more experience and get more qualifications, which inevitably leads to higher paycheques — luckily, more sales means more money with which to pay them with.
And the note on staff isn’t trivial, a tech company is made and broken by the knowledge and engagement of its engineers and keeping them happy is integral to success. Each day software providers issue hundreds of little bug fixes and major update patches, thus there’s always something new for engineers to learn. With all this learning comes experience, and with experience comes the expectation to be paid more and be involved with more challenging tasks. The engineers are the lions and the sales department, the feeding crew — that’s why we have to keep them separated in the office.
Life in the sales team is little different from life in any other department of an office, the tools of the trade are a computer, emails, a phone, a LinkedIn account and a drive to hit targets. The majority of their day is spent researching and talking to clients, cautiously trying to make their way to the decision makers.
Through diligent research, a good sales team can isolate the decision makers, but this is only the start of the chase. Next begins the dance of requirements elicitation (yes, I did make that up, but it sounds good and accurately describes what I observed). Like a delicate ballet, the sales team has to then find out what service provider they currently have, whether they’re happy with them, if we can do better, if we would be a good fit and finally, when their contract is going to be renewed.
Yes, I am giving the sales team a bit of abuse in this article but that’s because if anyone can take it, it’s them. See, a salesperson’s day isn’t just subterfuge, coercion and expensive lunches, it’s also the management of the company’s image to clients and the world, they are the face of the company, how it’s perceived by others and what makes it look good. Sure, their job may be to get new clients, and sometimes they fail, but no matter what they do, they have to look good doing it!
Even in the digital age, word of mouth is still one of the most important factors in the success of a business. Building and maintaining good rapport is essential for bringing on new clients. So what if the client’s just signed a two year contract, it’s their job to keep tabs on them, to check in, see if there’s anything we can help with, while trying not to come across as predatory.
So does a company need a dedicated sales to function? In short, no. Many companies do fine without one and sometimes they can be an unjustified investment. But as any company grows, so too does the need for specialised staff, and sales is a highly specialised field with its own rules and nomenclature. After all, whoever heard of an engineer eating quinoa?
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