Insight on Coaching
Coaching the IT and Service Salesforce
Season 4, Episode 11 - Air Date: October 15th, 2007
Audio File - Length 55:44, File Size - 12.7 MB
Almost anyone can sell a product; in fact, if you’ve got a product to sell, you very likely don’t need a salesperson to sell it.
But how do you sell an intangible?
What are the best methods and measures of success?
On this show, we speak to experts and coaches who can help your sales team position and sell intangibles and professional services.
Guests
Summary
According to the book, The Intellect Industry: Profiting and Learning from Professional Service Firms, the Professional Services industry is among the fastest growing industries, employing as much as 17% of the workforce in Western markets.
In a recent study by ITSMA, Support Services (maintenance services, technical and customer support services, managed services, etc.) are an important source of growth and profitability for many technology companies.
However for some companies, account teams struggle in positioning technology solutions, articulating the ROI of professional services, and moving toward a more consultative sales model.
Why is selling intangibles more difficult?
How are some organizations using sales coaches to help product and service account teams overcome hurdles in the sales process?
And how are some companies like Metropolitan Life Financial Services experiencing $3.2 million in measurable gains from implementing coaching programs?
Our guests discuss these issues and more.
Highlights of the show include:
- The importance of selling to the right decision makers.
- Why consultative sales methodologies are important.
- How coaches can guide sales teams in understanding pain points and asking the right questions.
- How coaches can help salespeople articulate attentiongetting, compelling stories about their services.
- The importance of facilitating dialogue between Sales Managers and Account Teams.
- Why it’s important to position coaching as a perk versus a “fix it” solution.
This podcast is part of the Insight on Coaching series. For additional information, visit the Insight on Coaching Home Page.