| Part I, Active Networking | | | | Relationship Chart. The elements of such a tool include: |
| For salespeople to be effective lead generators, they | | | | 1. Who are all (up and out) involved people by name |
| must have both active and passive marketing | | | | and title in that organization?a. The powerful -- C-Level, |
| programs. Now (1) their marketing program must be | | | | Profit Center Leaders and their immediate staffs.b. |
| their own - not the company's (although the two can | | | | The influential, the functional and the impacted.c. The |
| be in sync with each other), and (2) they will do both, | | | | administrators -- purchasing agents spec writers, |
| halfheartedly or not at all unless you the sales | | | | engineers, and controllers. |
| manager shows them how and holds them | | | | 2. Where does your sales person rank on the |
| accountable. Accountability means setting goals, | | | | credibility pyramid for each of these people -- 1-low to |
| actions and measurements. Then, review progress on | | | | 6-a resource/consultant? |
| a regular schedule to give meaningful feedback and | | | | 3. What actions is each taking to improve his or her |
| motivation to reach agreed-upon metrics. | | | | position with each decision maker? |
| So here are some sales management training tips for | | | | 4. When will these actions be completed, and |
| managing an Active Lead Generation Process. | | | | 5. How will you know it's complete and how will you |
| Active marketing is networking (a) up and out within | | | | measure it? |
| existing accounts, (b) into competitors' and lost | | | | Obviously, if your salespeople are a 5 to 6 on the |
| accounts, and (c) new markets. | | | | credibility pyramid with the powerful, they will have |
| For existing accounts do your sales people have 100% | | | | access to new opportunities, which they have helped |
| of their existing accounts' business? Do your sales | | | | create. Conversely, if they are stuck with low-level |
| people what it will take to steal accounts from your | | | | administrators and functional people, they will be just |
| competitors? Do your sales people have a method to | | | | another one of the bunch of competitors. |
| introduce and integrate your products into new | | | | Your job for helping your people create quality leads is |
| markets? Probably not. | | | | to keep them networking, learning from each individual |
| Now, the easiest way to get more business is to | | | | and offering-up ideas. This process will take time, but |
| spread like a virus through all accounts, focusing on | | | | once it catches-on, it will produce an ongoing flow of |
| eventually getting to the C-level and/or profit center | | | | leads from new divisions, for new products, and more |
| leaders and their immediate staffs. Your goal as a | | | | and more. This applies to existing and lost customers, |
| manager is to keep them focused on connecting with | | | | competitors' accounts, and new markets as well. My |
| more and more people to learn their problems and | | | | rule is 50% of sales people's prospecting time should |
| potential opportunities that relate to your solutions | | | | be spent on existing accounts, 30% on lost and |
| portfolio. Then, with their gleaned knowledge, develop | | | | competitors' accounts where they have contacts, and |
| suggestions and strategies that these leaders find | | | | 20% in those accounts where they have no contacts. |
| helpful. Try not to concentrate at first on the purchase, | | | | So start creating Executive Relationship Charts for |
| but rather on learning and then their buy-in to your | | | | each of your existing accounts and those accounts |
| suggestions. Learning their thinking will show what it will | | | | you would like to penetrate. These charts will yield |
| take to get buy-in. With buy-in comes support, and with | | | | your networking plans and the actions your people will |
| support comes networking to those with the power to | | | | take to improve their credibility with the powerful and |
| mandate changes, create budgets and to authorize | | | | influential. From these actions will emanate the leads |
| purchases. | | | | that generate sales. |
| If your sales people stick with their one or two main | | | | However, I guarantee your people will not do this |
| contacts, their ability to discover opportunities and | | | | without your pressure and your help. |
| make suggestions that lead to purchases is severely | | | | Next article Part II - Passive Marketing Article |
| limited. Therefore, you must insist upon an Executive | | | | And now I invite you to learn more. |