Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008 - (Page 17)

to effectively sell business solutions, it needed to improve its collective business acumen. “We realized that our salespeople have to be more than order-takers, due to the nature of our solutions,” he says. Through the program, EDS identified a set of characteristics that its most successful sales reps have in common: I They need to have a high level of integrity, dedication and commitment, due to the long selling cycle and trusting nature of the sale. I For the same reason, they need to be able to develop chemistry with clients and prospects and be proficient at building and maintaining relationships. I Finally, they have to have vision. EDS solutions are enterprise-wide and mission-critical, so the purchasing decision is often made in the boardroom, making it an especially complex process that requires buy-in at the highest levels. “On the other hand,” Grisham points out, “our deals usually involve multi-year commitments and a healthy amount of recurring revenue, so even though it takes a long time and a lot of effort to get those wins, they pay off in spades once the business is in the books. “In business, people always say, ‘Don’t take it personally.’ But when you have daily contact with a prospect for a year or more and end up not getting the business, it’s very personal. It hurts. But the wins are just as big, and it’s not unusual for EDS salespeople and their clients to become friends for life.” Grisham says there are three “legs” that an EDS sale depends upon: 1. Understanding the customer’s business. Salespeople need to understand the client’s industry and speak their language. If the client is a bank, one of its measures of success is the number of account relationships it has per customer, so the salesperson needs to know what that means and how to improve it. 2. The application of technology. Selling EDS solutions is a different process from selling products, manufacturing machinery or industrial chemicals. “There are specific business drivers behind a company’s decision to implement a technology-based solution, and understanding what those are is key to the success of EDS,” Grisham says. It’s all about how technology can enable their business to perform better. 3. Providing best-of-breed value. EDS solutions are rarely identical from one company to the next, even if those companies are the same size and in the http://www.harrahstahoe.com http://www.harveystahoe.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008

Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Brian Tracy University Smart Sales Sales Strategy Smart Marketing Marketing Strategy Smart Management Management Strategy The Minister of Culture Become a Value Merchant Incentives/Motivation Streamlining Business Travel Book Excerpt The Way I See It

Sales & Marketing Management - May/June 2008

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