Sales management principles and practices

Sales Management

Imaginative Staffing

The case study describes the situation for Imaginative Staffing Inc., a temporary services firm. The CEO of the firm, Angie Roberts, hears about team selling and wonders if this is something the company should be using. Roberts's interest in team selling is based on her observation that it takes the company a long time to close a sale. The case notes that it takes an average of six months to close a sale. The case also notes that one sales rep does the selling, with the sales director involved if it is needed. Roberts describes the problem in closing a sale and notes that "It seems to take too much time to gain the confidence of prospective accounts to the extent that they feel comfortable with us." Roberts also describes how the company is relatively new to the market and that this contributes to confidence issues. The case concludes with the sales director, Susan Borland, considering using a team selling system.

Considering the details of the case, it is suggests that Imaginative Staffing should use a team selling approach. There are several reasons for this decision. The first is that it is apparent that there is an issue with the current sales approach. The case notes that it takes an average of six months to close a sale. This is a significant amount of time and does not seem like an effective use of resources. The case also notes that both large and small corporations make extensive use of temporary help. This suggests that there is a large market of potential clients for Imaginative Staffing. The fact that it takes six months to close a deal suggests that the organization is not taking advantage of the market potential. For example, if a sales rep is taking six months to close a deal, consider how many deals could be closed if it only took a week. The length of time it takes to close a deal also suggests that potential clients have significant concerns with using Imaginative Staffing, Inc. This makes it likely that for every sale that is closed, there are many more that are not closed. This means that sales reps are wasting their time on clients without getting any results. This is not an effective use of resources. A team selling approach would solve this problem because it would allow the organization to complete their entire sales pitch in a short time. If the deal does not close, the team can then move on to other potential clients. This approach provides a quick answer and prevents sales people from wasting time. Another reason for using the team selling approach relates to the detail given that the sales reps work with clients individually, only asking for assistance from the sales director if it is needed. The length of time it takes to win a client shows that the sales reps are not closing sales effectively. This inability to perform makes it likely that the sales reps are not asking for help when they need it. In these kinds of situations, most people will be wary of admitting their problems out of fear that it will reveal that they are not doing a good job. This means that it is likely that sales reps are choosing to fail rather than admit they cannot close a sale and ask for the help the need. The end result is that clients are lost. This is clearly not in the best interests of the organization and is a major issue. The team selling approach would solve this problem because it would mean that sales reps have the support they need. The issue with the sales rep also indicates that there is a lack of control over the sales force. The case describes how the CEO has wondered why closing is so difficult. At the same time, the case shows that the CEO does not have any understanding of why. The case also shows that the CEO is concerned that the sales rate may be too low, but is not actually sure what it should be. This illustrates that the sales reps are not operating based on defined goals, with sales expectations not even known. At the same time, the CEO does not know why closing takes so long. This indicates a general lack of control, where a real problem cannot even be identified since there are no set standards, and where the reasons behind the problem are not known. The team selling approach would solve this problem because a senior salesperson would be present at the meeting and could assess how the sales reps are performing. This also means that the team selling approach is an opportunity for measuring performance, noting problems, and taking action to help sales reps improve. The final reason a team selling approach is needed relates to the problem that Imaginative Staffing has in gaining the confidence of potential clients and having credibility. A single sales rep as the contact person does not assist in this process. This is especially true considering that decisions related to staffing are normally made by senior employees. It would not help the credibility of Imaginative Staffing to have a junior sales rep speaking to a human resource manager or a general manager. Instead, there needs to be a more senior staff member to speak to potential clients of a higher level. It is also likely that the sales rep will come from a sales background and will not have an understanding of the needs of the people they are pitching to. A team selling approach could solve this problem by having an individual with a business approach that puts them on the same level as the person being pitched to. Finally, a team selling approach creates a general perception of credibility, which would help Imaginative Staffing to gain the confidence of clients.

Now that it has been decided to use a team selling approach, the members of the team must be decided. It is suggested that the team consist of the sales director, a sales rep, and an account manager. The sales director would take the role of the senior staff member and focus on the needs of the client. Their level within the organization would put them in a similar position to the people they are pitching to, which would help to enhance credibility. The sales director would also provide information on the benefits to the client. The sales director would be able to do this effectively because they would share a similar business perspective to the client. This could include providing charts or documents illustrating the financial benefits and the value of using the service. The sales rep would assist in the process by focusing on the details of the service. They would be responsible for providing information, rather than influencing. This is important because clients that are senior managers would be likely to consider themselves being talked down to if a junior person tries to influence them. At the same time, the sales reps takes highlights the seniority of the sales director. This allows the sales director to retain a high level of credibility. This also means that the client would be aware that a senior staff manager is taking the time to meet with them, which would help ensure they feel that they are important to Imaginative Staffing. This would assist in creating confidence. Finally, the account manager is needed because they will be the contact person for the client once the sale is closed. This would help build confidence because it means that the client knows the individual they will be dealing with. The account manager's role is largely a personal one where they will develop an effective business relationship with the client. This will help ensure that the client feels like they will be looked after, which assists in gaining their confidence in the service.

This consideration of who would be needed in the sales team highlights the different skills needed in a sales force. Firstly, there is a need for a senior individual with a business background. This person does not need to have a sales background. Instead, it would be beneficial if they had a general business management background or a human resources background. The main requirement is that they understand the needs of the client from a business perspective. A sales rep is also needed, whose background is in sales. This individual needs to have the ability to sell the service by describing its features. This individual also needs to have the ability to clearly communicate the details of the service. Finally, an individual is needed who has the personal skills to form an effective relationship with the client. This individual does not need to have a sales background. Instead, it would be better for their background to be in working with clients, rather than winning clients. This illustrates that the sales force needed for the organization do not all have to be skilled in actual selling. If this was the case, the client would probably feel overwhelmed by a team of people all trying to influence them. Instead, the sales force needs to have people with a business approach and with a relationship building approach, as well as someone with a sales approach.