You’ll Never Hear the End of It

Okay, you run a company and you think the purpose of hiring of a salesperson is for them to go find new business and grow business with the existing customer base. This is true but you may be missing a critical part of their job that could make a huge difference in your company if you would just spend some time talking to them.

In my work with small business owners, my team dives into the market to find new customers to grow the business. With intensive prospecting, we learn about what prospective customers think, need, want. In short, we get real insights into the market that are valuable!

Seldom do I have a president or leader of my client’s company ask me what the market is saying, what I am learning, or what are my insights.

I always wonder if they are not interested in getting this market feedback, not aware of the importance of it, or simply do not think my opinion as a salesperson matters to solicit this information from me. Business owners assume that their offerings are competitive and current. This is a huge assumption and can be extremely costly if it goes unchallenged.

Good salespeople have an excellent understanding of the market and what customers and prospects want and need. These salespeople can help identify trends, opportunities, and risks.
Isn’t this knowledge important?

Understanding the market and recognizing that the market is constantly changing and evolving requires senior managers to be constantly paying attention. Recognizing the value of your ‘boots on the ground’ to provide insights allows you to better position your company for growth. Owners need to decide they want this information and be willing to confront reality. Owners need to build a culture in their organization where everyone is trying to understand the market and actively trying to identify opportunities to differentiate their company. Salespeople can provide tremendous insight in this.

Engage with your salespeople, ask them what they are hearing. Listen, Learn and Act.