Direct Sales: Hiring direct sales can be risky. It takes time to train and build a book of business. It is important to develop a sales rep profile. The profile is important, moving too far away from it will produce poor results. An empty apartment is better than a bad tenant.
When hiring executive sales management, be sure you understand how they fit into your expected profile & company culture, because more than likely, they will bring in their own team of sales people who behave similarly. By nature, sales people tend to yell the loudest. Are they Theory X take no prisoners type guys, or do they have a more collaborative style. An interview does not always show these traits & is important to understand what you are in for before you bring in a new sales team. If not, your entire organization may suffer.
Other than references, one simple way to find out more about an important hire is to bring them out for a round of golf. You would be surprised what you can learn about someone’s style in a 6 hour pressure packed round of golf!
Make sure that the sales compensation plans are aligned with company business plans. Make sure that territories are clearly defined to avoid channel conflict with other reps and selling partners. Define the sales process and assign resources based on process steps. This will encourage information sharing and opportunity qualification. All this information should be contained in a collaborative sales tracking & forecasting system that all company stake holders have access to.
Geographical Expansion: Europeans like to buy from Europeans. A successful sales group in the US may not succeed in Europe. Look for talent that has been successful selling similar products in the foreign territory. It is important that they have contacts and the ability to bring in good people. Look for expansion through American multi-national companies to get local references.
Partnering: Choosing partners can be very difficult. Analysts can be very effective at suggesting potential partners and making introductions. Ask your customers what service providers they use. Look at your competitions, who do they partner with? Partnership include, selling partners that sell with you, OEM partners who embed your solution in their offerings and technology partners which extend your solution. To gain revenue through partners you must understand how they sell and get paid. Are they vertically aligned and is your vertical alignment similar. Are you speaking with the right people, you can spend a lot of cycles chasing a marketing relationship. Follow the money, sell with your partner. Check your contacts with analysts or other influencers to see if you are speaking with the right people.
Be sure the compensation plans for your direct sales teams are in line with your channel objectives. Compensation drives behavior. Do not create compensation plans that are destructive to your channel objectives. Find a compelling reason to partner. Make sure that your joint value helps them win deals. Make sure they understand how the partnership makes them more competitive. Never get stuck in a program.
There is a lot to do, and if you can do it quickly you will beat your competition. Who is your coach? Palladin can help. Our partners have lived this problem at many companies in different roles. We can help you through the process rolling up our sleeves, working with you, sharing contacts and giving you the benefits of our experience. Why can we help, because that what we do? Go to our Website, then please give us a call.
