SOMETIME’S IT’S ON US
JIM OLSON
EDITED BY
DAVID RUBINSTEIN
A good friend of mine shared this story with me the other day. He was playing golf at one of the nicest country clubs in town. He had the round of his life going – two under at the turn. On the 10th hole, he hit his drive in to the trees. From there he pitched out and found his ball in a fairway bunker. He took two shots to get out of the bunker and got to the green in five. From there he three-putted for a quadruple bogey. After that his round was shot. He proceeded to tell his caddy all the things that went wrong and how he couldn’t get a break. After hearing the excuses and the results of bad luck, the caddy asked, “Why do you think the scorecard has a very small box to write your score?” My friend, puzzled, waited and then the caddy said, “Because no one cares how you got there, they only want to know the score.” In other words, just zip it and play better! (He figured the tip would be very small anyway!).
How often do Sellers blame their lack of sales on Marketing? “If only marketing would spend more money!” “Marketing doesn’t promote the right message.” The excuses go on forever. On the flip side, how often do Sellers credit Marketing when sales exceed expectations? Either way, Sellers need to focus on selling. Both must understand the marketplace and the demand for the product/service. Both must communicate their respective goals and challenges. When each department understands what the other is trying to accomplish, they can work together at a higher level.
However, there are times when Marketing and Sales may not be on the same page. For example – the Marketing department may be executing a branding campaign that has nothing to do with selling a product. There is always the hope that increased brand awareness will drive sales, but that’s not the sole purpose. Sellers control their skills, the time they spend practicing, how they use their time, etc. They won’t always control marketing, R&D, pricing and much more. When this happens, Sellers must separate themselves from the positioning of the product and focus on what they control – Selling.
What do you think?
Good Selling to you!
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