Jefferson Sales Consultancy Ltd.

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In today’s economic climate it is even more important to keep your focus on sales and the steady growth of your business. As competitors find it difficult and scale back there will be more opportunities for you, if they don’t make it then there will be more customers for you. As the saying goes “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.

For many businesses they don't have the need, the budget, or the desire to take the risk of hiring a full-time Sales Director or Manager to manage the Sales team. The reality is that your best Sales person is not necessarily the best person to move into this role as the Sales team gets bigger or more geographically dispersed. After all inevitably he or she will be spending less time "selling" and more time "managing". This is not good news when Sales are harder.

What we have been doing over the last three years is providing interim and part time Sales Directors to performance manage the Sales teams in client companies and we really believe this is a long term solution for companies not able to hire full time Sales Management. The benefits are numerous:

More cost effective paying for 1-2 days per week rather than 5 days
Independence and objectivity
Less intrusive for the Sales team so they become more independent
Reduce the need for management to get involved in Sales performance
Real experience of managing, developing, building and motivating successful sales people
Flexible resource that can be turned on or off as needed
Sales team learn new skills from experienced Sales Directors
Consolidate and streamline Sales reporting and pipeline management
Meeting and call shadowing to improve presentation, communication, and negotiation skills
Proper coaching and mentoring of Sales team
Assistance in identifying poor performers and Sales people in the wrong job
Making sure that motivation and incentives reflect the Sales market-place
Helping with strategic direction of company and growth objectives
Using executive Global 500 network to assist with Sales

We have helped all sorts of Business to Business companies; some on a project basis getting them in better shape for sale or merger; some to assist the Managing Director start a new business or reorganise a function; some with start up funding but no Sales management structure, and many others to improve Sales systems, Sales processes and the performance of their Sales People.

Please call us to discuss your challenge, it is more than likely that we have heard it all before and have examples of solutions we have provided to reassure you that we can help.

Business Link Hertfordshire News Item

4 Tec Security Ltd was established in 1992 by Managing Director, Ralph Sherriff, to provide bespoke, high-tech security systems. They have become one of Britain’s leading independent high quality security installation companies and now employ 20 staff.

The problem
Ralph explains “Despite having a small sales team, I had been the top salesman in the company and knew this situation had to change. I wanted simultaneously to grow sales, develop the sales department and to step away from managing the sales team so that I could focus my efforts on the overall management of the business - the bigger picture.

“I tried several approaches with varying degrees of success, but in February 2006 my general manager suggested bringing in someone to ‘interim-manage’ the sales team and develop their skills and capability. I decided to approach Business Link because I knew that I would get impartial, appropriate and objective advice.

The solution
Gill Targett-Adams, Business Adviser at Business Link, worked with Ralph to identify where he needed help and to develop a solution which would take his business forward. She helped Ralph to re-benchmark 4 Tec Security’s business performance using the Business Performance Diagnostic, which confirmed Ralph’s belief that sales growth was lagging behind that of their competitors.

Ralph and Gill discussed the type of support which Ralph wanted, especially the outcomes which he wanted the project to generate. Using Business Link’s Supplier Matching Service, which uses a database of approved consultants and suppliers of business services, Gill sourced three potential suppliers who could take on the interim sales management role. Ralph met two of the potential suppliers and selected Matt Jefferson of Jefferson Sales Consultancy, the supplier he believed would be the best ‘fit’ for his project.

The outcome
Matt worked with 4 Tec Security’s sales team over three months and significant increases in the sales capacity of the sales team members were achieved during that period. As Ralph says “It was important to make sure that the project was on-track and evaluate performance as it progressed. I am very pleased with the way that the department has developed and continues to do so. The project was completed on budget and within the planned timescale.”

Sales Outsourcing:

Sections published in Independent Business – June 2006 Hertfordshire Edition

This article briefly explores the question of whether companies should outsource their sales function and/or look outside their organisation for support with sales.

There is definitely a lack of flexible and shared-cost sales expertise for small and medium sized businesses. If we need an accountant, solicitor, or IT specialist we are generally spoilt for choice, and can engage them usually on either an hourly or retention basis. With sales resource there is generally only the option to employ a sales person full-time or use a telemarketing/telesales operation.

Sales outsourcing is still relatively new but it is catching on as a flexible, pay-as-you-need, service. After all, if you feel comfortable outsourcing your finance function why wouldn’t you feel the same about outsourcing sales. The issues for both come down to “perceived control” and of course “trust”.

As many of you know, hiring sales people is not enough, they need to be managed and their activity and results properly monitored. (Some people can work independently and get on with it, others cannot, and you may not always find an individual who can sell and also be independent). If you’ve managed a large diverse sales team then you’re in a better position to do this than for example an already very busy Managing Director.

So why would you look outside your organisation or hire someone part-time? External perspectives on your business are valued, and introducing tried and tested methodologies can work for most business types, after all where would “management consultancy” be if this wasn’t true. However, there are a number of additional reasons why using an external sales consultant or “interim” makes sense:

Broader industry/sector experience and executive network
Independence and objectivity
External perspective on your sales and marketing proposition
Sales process methodologies
Understanding of sales key performance metrics
Been there, got the t-shirt in the sales discipline
Clearer focus, enthusiasm and motivation – vested interest in performing well
More senior sales expertise than you could afford full-time
Cost – no fixed costs
Flexibility – on a need basis

Generally sales people stick to one industry or sector and have a specialism and network that reflects this. Many sales management consultants have deliberately worked across industries and sectors to build up a more varied and layered experience which provides “out of the box” thinking and means they can work for different sorts of businesses. Independence and objectivity enable the consultant to make apolitical decisions and see things more clearly without historical factors or being caught in a silo. They can also be more critical about your sales and marketing proposition to customers and help you differentiate from competitors (what makes you different, what are you offering, why would I buy from your company?).

Sales process follows a defined set of stages within the qualification and close of a sale and can be implemented in any business with minimal tweaking. If you are not selling effectively it usually means there is a gap or breakdown in the sales process within your company. Do you have the right sales structures in place, do your sales people have the tools to be most effective, what customer relationship management system is used, how accurately do they forecast business coming in, how are they incentivised and motivated?

In many businesses the sales people are hired by the Managing Director and he or she does not know what sales people should do, how they should approach the sale or the customer, what are appropriate activity levels, what are the benchmarks, after all he or she just want them to “sell”. Often the sales people moved into a sales position from another area of the business and have had no formal sales training. By introducing key performance metrics and even formal sales reporting the Managing Director will be able to “performance manage” the sales function.

We all know we get a bit stale when we do the same thing day in day out. Also sales people do “burn out” and usually have 2-3 years of success before their sales dwindle. A fresh approach is needed and someone who works in your business for a fixed or ongoing part-time basis brings enthusiasm to the role and a clear focus. Consultants don’t take lunch breaks! Their attitude is very different from that of a full-time member of staff. If they don’t perform well you won’t ask them back and you won’t recommend them to other companies.

Many companies would prefer to have a great sales person 2 days a week than a mediocre one 5 days a week, and if we could afford them full-time all the better. However, the likelihood is that we might find it hard to handle that much business, and therefore a part-time “heavy hitter” works well.

So how much is it going to cost, and won’t it be more expensive than hiring someone full-time? The daily rate will certainly be more expensive than the cost of employing someone at first glance if you annualise it. However, did you factor in the following; pay as you need, no bonus to pay, no pension costs, no car costs, no training costs, no health cover, no computer, no mobile phone, no expense account, no recruitment or redundancy costs, no office space, no employer’s National Insurance (12.8%), and you don’t need to pay them for 30 days paid holiday and 10 days of average sick pay per year. You’ve probably worked it out for yourself!

Matt Jefferson is Managing Director of Jefferson Sales Consultancy Ltd based in Hertfordshire and can be contacted via email at: matt@jeffersonsales.co.uk or by phone: 020 7096 2005. He is a member of the Watford and West Herts Chamber of Commerce.

By providing an objective and independent view of your sales proposition and strategy for growth, sales processes and management systems, sales peoples’ ability and performance, business development and customer acquisition strategies, Jefferson Sales Consultancy is able to see things clearly and ensure that you get the results you need.
http://www.jeffersonsales.co.uk/