Understand Your Sales Team Culture - Unlock Potential!

Do you really know your sales organization?

Most people don't realize that the sales culture created in the organization is actually built upon bits and pieces of the sales profession. By that I mean, each person that has had a critical decision to make has uniquely crafted the organization based upon their own understanding of the profession. With that understanding, they have infused both good and bad practices. These practices can be traced to several distinct sales eras. Each era, can leave a lasting impression on your organization -- thanks to the people who infused the sales culture from the beginning, until today.

Here are each of the eras:

The Time Period Era of...

Late 1800's -1920 Sales Science

1920 - 1945 Sales Process

1945 - 1985 Sales Relationship

1985 - 2005 Sales Technology

2005 - ?? Sales Competency

For each of these eras, please read my other articles.

The sales eras are important for historical reasons, but there is a practical reason for understanding that they survive until this day. Much of the knowledge new salespeople attain is grounded in the Era of Process. Much of the knowledge on client decision making comes from the Era of Relationship, and much of the advances in managing information flow appeared in the Era of  Technology. It's interesting to note that each selling era precedes the other. If you're just starting to analyze a sales team, you can start with the work required to accomplish a single transaction while Identifying how the sales team is organized, how quotas are assigned, and who reports to whom (Era of Science).

From there, move into identifying the processes, systems, and tools in place that support the sales team as they attempt drive multiple transactions (Era of Process). Next, move into understanding how the sales team supports client decision-makers as well as how they help clients justify purchase decisions (Era of Relationship). After that, you can analyze the technology in place designed to support and align the sales team (Era of Technology).

Finally, you can move into understanding the individual and organizational competencies required of the various levels within the sales team (Era of Performance). Think about it! Entering the Era of Sales Performance requires all other eras to exist first. Therefore, identifying theses eras can be accomplished even if you have a new sales team that lacks the history, but needs processes, tools, and systems to align to the client.

Brian Lambert is the Director of Sales Development and Performance at the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). In this role, he is responsible for meeting the unique challenges of performance professionals focused on the sales profession. He is responsible for conducting primary research and creating resources, articles, and other custom content that helps individuals design and deliver sales training, manage and develop high performing sales talent, and improve salesperson performance. Brian has fifteen years of experience in sales, sales management, sales training, and sales consulting and is an internationally recognized expert on the state of the sales profession as well as current trends in transforming sales team systems, processes, and people.

Brian is a highly sought after world-wide speaker, author, and trainer on sales competency, sales performance, sales process, sales professionalism, sales ethics, and sales process.

Find out about Brian at http://www.salestrainingdrivers.com Visit ASTD's Sales Training Initiative at: http://www.astd.org/communities/salestraining

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.