Random Thoughts: June 2005 Archives

For centuries, we've misused the function of sales. We've used sellers to push product, even though we've recognized that there is a 93% failure rate built into the job (so we've just hired a lot of sellers to do the job far fewer could do).

The way I see it, sales folks are the bridge between the outside (customer, market) and the inside (company). Imagine if sellers are equiped with the tools/skills to be able to be the brand ambassadors for the company, while bring the raw, real data of what customers truly desire back to the R&D function. Maybe then we'd develop products that people wanted/needed, rather than designing products that our R&D folks wanted. Or be the teachers for other functions in a company so they all can get behind true customer care.

We've relegated 'sales' to the function of selling product. Imagine if sellers were the bridge for a company, and merely had to support buyers in designing their own solutions, with their company just responding.