In these times, we tend to look through the lens of technology at many things. We ‘version’ our lives as if we are software project – version 1.0, 2.0 on so on. We talk about our ‘operating system’ and ‘rebooting’. It is therefore very easy to get into the mode of selling the future – selling the next version of what we are involved in. After all, the next version will fix all the problems of this version won’t it?
It is very easy to slip into this state of mind as a company. Of course a large proportion of the activity, investment may be taken by focusing on the next version. You may have a whole team of people focused on innovation and how you deliver that innovation consistently to the market. It may also be the vision that you want your customers to understand and be part of – after all, your success will largely depend on what you are able to consistently deliver not just today but in the future. The iterations that you are providing to the market is one way of de-risking the process of working with you as a supplier.
But this isn’t a frame of mind that is good for sales people – it isn’t the best way to approach it. Focus on selling what you have now will yield the best results for growth now.
Of course, all of us have gone out and sold something that doesn’t exist and had to build it once that has happened. This is how entrepreneurs usually get established. But eventually you need to ship something that works. Something that makes the vision of the future a reality for your customers. And if you want to scale a business this has to work for more than a few people.
Equip your sales people to sell what they have. Bring products to the market that they can sell now. If that includes a path to an innovative iteration then that is even better. But they will earn more commission and you will get more deals if you focus here.
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This post is supports advice in Build Your Sales Tribe – Sales in the Information Age Book. If you own the book, thanks for visiting. If you don’t own the book, find out more here: www.salestribe.co.uk
