There are many different types of sales roles - and types of salespeople that fill them. Some need to be prospecting fit, while others needs to be detailed, patient and thorough. The key to sales success is to match these two together well.
There is a large body of research that shows there are many types of salespeople for different types of clients, products, and markets. Just because a sales person may be excellent in one market may not mean they are well suited for another.
Take call centres for instance. If the type of sale is simple and transactional, putting in people who like complex problem solving and variety would be a very bad decision. Boredom and repetition, amongst other things, could see people like this leave sooner than intended or create havoc while there.
When one assumes that an organisation can have a sales force with no differentiation, there are often negative consequences. These include:
- Individuals don't work together well
- Sales opportunities seem to 'slip away'
- Individuals can't seem to get the job done
The assumption that every salesperson can be all things to every customer does not work. This assumption regards all customers and salespeople as a commodity, or an interchangeable part. For example, if a salesperson is unable to secure a sale with a customer, the organisation may not make a conclusion that the salesperson does not meet the needs of the customer. Instead the organisation might view the customer as a commodity or an opportunity that has been lost, and will hope that the salesperson is able to secure another sale with a different customer.
A 'one-salesperson-does-it-all approach' does not work when you have a diverse product range or a varied pool of customers. Each customer has unique needs, operates within a unique organisation, and needs to know different information from the salesperson. Therefore it is necessary to link the salesperson's style of working to the needs of the customer, your market and your products.
Too little work is done in this area and yet it is one of the most critical areas you need to consider for business success.
The book The Quadrant Solution by Stevens, H & Cox, J, describes a sales model based upon a quadrant that is used to evaluate the organisation and its products on its complexity and the expected customer experience:
Complexity
- High-touch - Customer is making a complex purchase, with a lot of customised offerings. The seller needs to do a lot of hand-holding during the purchase and delivery. Longer, more secure relationship with seller
- Low-touch - A simple purchase. Customer is confident in handling the purchase procedure on their own. Doesn't need hand-holding. Short / temporary relationship
Customer experience
- High-tech - Customer needs a high degree of technical support during and after the purchase
- Low-tech - Customer has the experience and knowledge to handle the technical components of the sale
In the book he describes four sales styles that link into the quadrant model. These are consultative selling, relationship selling, display selling, and super-closer selling.
I have provided examples of each style as a way of demonstrating my point about the variety that exists in sales, however from our research there are even more selling styles or subsets of selling styles. Not all selling roles will fit these categories however I feel it is a good place to stimulate our thinking on this topic and help you make more sense of what you may need by way of sales talent:
- Consultative selling style - High-tech, High-touch
Salespeople who adopt a consultative selling style enjoy being the trusted consultants to their customers. They like a degree of complexity in their work, and are comfortable interacting with high-level managers. They are analytical, ambitious, educated, professional, self-confident and well-organised. They are able to work with customers who need technical support and a long-standing relationship.
- Relationship selling style - Low-tech, High-touch
Salespeople who adopt a relationship selling style enjoy building and fostering relationships with customers. They have a strong work ethic and enjoy a hands-on approach when interacting with others. They are warm and personable and are sensitive to problems that the customer may be having. Relationship salespeople are not technically oriented, and focus on the relationship aspect of a sale.
- Display selling style - Low-tech, Low-touch
Salespeople who adopt a display selling style are comfortable promoting or displaying a product to the customer in the most effective way. They ensure that their approach is easy, convenient and simple for everyone to understand. They prefer to work with customers on a transactional basis, and are not inclined to provide the technical or long-term relationship support.
- Super-closer selling style - High-tech, Low-touch
Salespeople who adopt a super-closer selling style are progressive and determined in their approach. They are extroverted, energetic and competitive in their style. They are visionary, entrepreneurial and are often viewed as experts in their field. They tend to get customers excited about the possibilities of a product / service, and their primary focus is on closing the sale. The super-closer salesperson is generally moving too fast onto the next prospect to maintain a long-term relationship with the client, but will provide them with the technical support to secure the sale.
In conclusion, excellent salespeople can generally sell many things but not usually everything. Even if they could, some selling environments would not suit them in the long-term and therefore they would not be classified as a good salesperson for your business.
Our salesforces should be organised so that the natural selling style of the salesperson compliments the kind of product or service that they are selling, and fits in with the customer's market.
We need to know what type of sales role and salesperson our businesses need to prosper. By determining a salesperson's natural tendency or selling style, we can ensure that this is linked to the customer and product's unique needs.