Every business needs that edge over the competition; that one thing (or many things!) to set them apart and lead to success. This article series is directed at the CEO who attempts to identify, create and exploit their “Unfair Advantage” in their markets to double or triple their sales.
SALES FORCE:
How do you sell? Do you tack flyers to light poles in back alleys? Or do you utilize cutting edge digital media experts with modern technology? Or have you hired a high-impact VP of Sales to jump-start the engine?
THE BASICS:
Unless you have a product, part or service that literally no one else has, CEOs must always be fine tuning their “Unfair Advantage.” Each business model is unique and may not call for an actual sales force, however if it does, it had better be superior. Is your sales model YOUR “Unfair Advantage”? Are you measuring results? Conversion rates? Do you know where leads are really coming from? What’s your ROI on marketing dollars and the sales budget? Without putting the fundamentals in place, a CEO may be “flying blind” and not even know it.
SO YOU HIRED A SALES GUY!!
Congratulations, you now have a new expense line item and level of risk in your enterprise; a new sales team. How will this team be managed and inspired? How much of a CEO’s “Leadership Capital” will be spent every day to yield results?
For a small to mid-sized firm, building out an effective sales force can be costly in more ways than one and clearly there is little margin for error. Therefore, CEOs finding themselves in this position should consider OSM, or Outsourced Sales Management, as a viable path to growth.
OUTSOURCED SALES MANAGEMENT (OSM)
Similar to outsourcing the many other critical functions of a business, OSM brings in the experts, with a track record, to professionally manage, measure and inspire the sales team who are responsible for your company’s reputation and market reach. OSM is an alternative to be considered vs. hiring a “Director of Sales” to recruit and manage the team internally. A small to mid-sized firm may find the cost of OSM far less than setting up an internal sales infrastructure. The real ROI with investing in an OSM function comes in the form of faster ramp up and ability to rapidly pivot in the marketplace. An established OSM provider knows how to measure activity and results using robust CRM tools and tends motivate the salesforce, unify the brand and ultimately produce greater profitability.
Perhaps YOUR OSM can be your “Unfair Advantage” within your industry segment?