6 Steps to Develop More Effective Sales Professionals.
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Hiring a salesperson is one thing; but someone who can understand a customer’s business, recognize an opportunity, and connect the right solution to the right problem is something else entirely. That challenge is becoming more important as the office technology market expands beyond traditional hardware. Sales professionals may now be representing equipment alongside software, workflow, security, managed services, and other technologies. Giving a new rep a product portfolio and a list of accounts is not enough. They need context about the market, insight into their customers, the ability to uncover business challenges, and the tools to turn those opportunities into action.
So, what should that development process look like?
The infographic below outlines six areas that can help organizations develop customer-focused sales professionals, from understanding the market and customer to building the skills and capabilities needed for long-term success.
Infographic designed by Bridget Dedian,
Content & Communications Manager at Keypoint Intelligence.
Why It Matters
At Keypoint Intelligence, we believe effective sales development should start before the product pitch.
A salesperson who understands the market has context for where opportunities may be developing. Understanding the customer helps that rep determine which of those opportunities are relevant. Strong discovery skills then help uncover the business problem before a solution is recommended. The order is important. Starting with the customer’s needs rather than the product creates a very different sales approach.
Market intelligence can play an important role in that process. It should not replace discovery, but it can make discovery smarter by helping salespeople understand where to look, what questions to ask, and which issues may be worth exploring.
Product knowledge remains important, too. But knowing every feature on a specification sheet is different from understanding which capabilities matter to a particular customer. The objective is to move from “Here is what we sell” toward “Here is how we can help address the problem you have identified.”
Anthony Sci, President and CEO of Keypoint Intelligence, explains: “Because there will always be a ‘next new thing’. The more important question is whether that new thing solves a problem your customer—or your next customer—has.”
That is ultimately what effective sales development should prepare reps to do. The goal is not simply to know what the organization sells, but to recognize where it can genuinely help. Building that capability from the start, and continuing to develop it over time, can create sales professionals who are better prepared to solve problems and build stronger customer relationships.
Want to help your sales team turn insight into action? Explore Keypoint Intelligence’s advisory services and research, training, and sales-enablement resources.
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