Selling Power Magazine Article

In this issue, we are proud to present the annual Selling Power 50 Best Companies to Sell for Now. To highlight why some of these companies are more attractive to salespeople, we spoke with a number of salespeople and sales managers from the 50 best companies on our list and discovered that, while there will always be mediocre companies to sell for, the companies where salespeople really want to have the chance to excel have some distinct similarities. In this exclusive Selling Power look at what makes a great company from a sales rep’s point of view, we let reps and sales managers tell it like it is.

If you fear your company is more mediocre than good, just remember, there is hope. Review this list of five common characteristics of sales-friendly companies, and choose at least one thing that your firm can improve today.

1. Sales-friendly companies offer industry-leading solutions. A salesperson’s nightmare: trying to sell an inferior product at a superior price. That’s why the best companies to sell for have, naturally, the best products.

Being able to enter a tough market knowing that you have an aggressive company behind you with a portfolio of in-demand products can give a salesperson more confidence to hit the street running. When your company’s very name opens doors, you have an edge from the start. “You’re getting the ‘A’ sales team if you provide a real solution that offers true business impact,” says Alison Gleeson, VP of US commercial sales for San Jose-based Cisco (#23, Manufacturing).

But not everyone can be best…right? Wrong. You can be the best at something, whether it’s customer service, implementation, post-sales support, pricing structures, quick installations, or dependability. Your job is to define something your firm can be the best at – and then leverage it. That’s the key. Leverage.

2. Sales-friendly companies communicate well. In a highly pressured business environment, silence is less than golden. When customers and prospects see reps as the face of the company, they expect them to have the latest information. Not knowing that the accounting department has just changed its down-payment requirements or that half the global sales force was just laid off or that Fridays are now jargon-free days doesn’t just make you look bad, it makes the company look inept.

As a result, great organizations have frequent and full communication. “The leadership is the most important thing,” says veteran B2B salesperson Celine Foord. Foord, who spent several years at Boston-based Iron Mountain (#6, Service), says that management’s ability to translate and communicate high-level decisions to the front line is paramount. Decisions are made at the C-level, and their impact may seem obvious – if you’re at the C-level. Make sure that every rep knows what’s happening and why and where to turn for further explanation or clarification.

3. Sales-friendly companies have execs who “get” salespeople. Sales reps can be a different breed. They’re known as the loose cannons, the fast talkers, the shoot-from-the-hip types, and they may be seen by other members of the organization as odd or downright annoying. And, to a degree, that can be accurate. But at their best, salespeople tend to be results-driven action takers, willing to do whatever it takes to save the sale – when properly motivated. And good execs know how to motivate them. Whether it’s membership into the President’s Circle, public recognition, cash bonuses, or a sticker to place on their proverbial football helmet, the 50 best companies motivate their reps to sell. “The incentives, benefits, and recognition offered should be clearly stated and fairly provided to continuously motivate the salespeople,” summarizes Hilda Tolentino, senior manager of international sales and marketing at Hormel Foods Corporation (#9, Manufacturing).

It can be easy for companies of every size to revamp their commission and recognition program. Remove limitations on your sales force’s ability to succeed, sit down and figure out what makes your team members want to sell more, and then give it to them. They know what they want, and they’ll be glad to tell you. And forget any whining about the economy and belt tightening. Some company out there is willing to pay for the talent. If it isn’t you, it could be your competitor. 

4. Sales-friendly companies empower their salespeople. When’s the last time you had to ask someone if it was OK for you to take a bathroom break? Third grade? Don’t be so sure. Some companies out there are still making their salespeople raise their metaphorical hand to head to the powder room, requiring their outside salespeople to be at the office at specific times, and insisting that employees ask for permission before making any decision not covered in the 356-page corporate handbook – in general, treating them like third-graders.

If you want a group of third-graders, then great. But if you want a forward-thinking, responsible sales team, then your people need to be empowered. “You need the autonomy to make decisions,” says Thomas Byom, director of Safeway accounts for Hormel Foods in Pleasanton, CA. Knowing and communicating roles and responsibilities and being able to let your salespeople take the ball and run is critical. Micromanagemen
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t is so…well, third grade.

5. Sales-friendly companies invest in their salespeople through relevant training and infrastructure. Good sales managers know that some of the best salespeople will come to them with not a whit of sales experience, but with proper training and a strong infrastructure, they’ll be able to soar. As a result, sales-friendly companies offer effective training programs that address the real needs of salespeople.

Training for just training’s sake is the bane of any salesperson’s existence, as it pulls reps away from the field and customers. But training that enables salespeople to do their job more efficiently and effectively shows an investment in human capital, particularly if it’s individualized. “Individual development plans create an environment of continuous growth,” says Dick Ransom, strategic account sales manager for IKON Office Solutions Inc., a Ricoh Americas corporation, in Worthington, OH (#7, Service).

Your assignment: take a look at your training and infrastructure from a salesperson’s point of view. If they help your reps sell more or spend less time performing routine tasks, keep them. Nix the stuff that’s just overhead, and add more hardcore training that meets the needs of your sales team right now.

Corporate Profiles

While every company on our list has numerous strengths (and maybe even a few weaknesses), each has a signature style, or “sales superpower.” In this series of short profiles, we’ve highlighted the unique attributes of a handful of our top picks. Read
on to see what these companies look like from the inside out.

IKON, A Ricoh Americas Corporation (#7, Service)

Sales superpower: infrastructure support that dovetails with its sales force’s needs.

IKON Office Solutions Inc. helps its customers improve their document workflow. That’s why it makes sense that the company’s salespeople speak highly of its ability to match tools, processes, and methodology to salespeople’s needs. “IKON provides the right tools and methodology for salespeople to run their territories as a business,” says Dick Ransom, strategic account sales manager, Ohio Valley West.

Another IKON strength: its ability to reward its team for today’s performance while helping develop its team for the future. The company wants to keep its people and knows that personal development and professional opportunity are the ways to do that. Ransom has been at IKON for more than eight years and is in a prime position to evaluate the company’s length-of-career support of its sales team.

“IKON/Ricoh provides significant training both upon initial hire and ongoing, which provides the sales force with the knowledge and skills to perform successfully,” Ransom says. “Opportunities to follow numerous career paths present salespeople with multiple options for advancement.”
Marriott International (#23, Service)

Sales superpower: small-town feel in a big-city company.

After a rare 5.8 earthquake hit the US East Coast in late August of this year, it was natural for friends and family members around the country to call and check in on each other, says Eunice Gibbs, government account manager with Marriott International in Norfolk, VA. What was a little more unexpected, at least to outsiders, is that Gibbs counts her Marriott counterparts among that list of friends and family. “Not just my boss, but my boss’s boss called me,” she recalls. “Marriott’s really family oriented. It’s a big company, but it’s close knit.”

After 20 years in hospitality industry sales, Gibbs made the move to Marriott International corporate about a year ago. “I’ve always wanted to be with Marriott Corporate,” she says, naming the opportunities for growth as one of the driving reasons for her shift, as well as the focus on top-notch performance. “Marriott hires the best of the best,” she says. “[I love] being part of a great team. Everyone wants you to succeed.” And with more than 150,000 employees worldwide, engendering that team spirit is a superpower, indeed.

Cisco (#23, Manufacturing)

Sales superpower: using its own technology within the company.

Earlier this year, Cisco put its own technology to the test as it hosted its third annual all-hands global sales meeting. For four days, sales and sales-support employees around the globe tuned in to hear peer-
level sales managers and C-level execs dialog with key decision makers and share best practices and a vision for the future. Total attendance? More than 22,000 people.

Being willing to put itself on the line as a guinea pig for its own technology is nothing new to Cisco, says Alison Gleeson, VP of US commercial sales. She says that one of the company’s greatest draws is its ability to equip its team with the latest in communication technology. Its focus in the fields of virtualization, collaboration technologies, and borderless networks has enabled an agile workforce with the flexibility today’s worker craves. “Cisco’s ability to provide work-life integration, or work-life balance, is second to none,” says Gleeson, who recently celebrated her 15th anniversary with the company. “Our single most impor
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tant asset is that we leverage our technology in everything we do.”

Hormel Foods (#9, Manufacturing)

Sales superpower: offering attractive opportunities to retain staff.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker changes careers three to five times in his or her lifetime. The number of company changes is estimated to be double or triple that. The point? Finding someone who’s remained at the same company for more than a handful of years is rare. That’s why the fact that we interviewed not one but two salespeople who’ve worked for Hormel Foods for more than a decade was an immediate insight into the company’s strengths.

Thomas Byom, director of the Safeway account for Hormel, has spent more than two decades with the company. “It goes back to the culture,” he says. “Young people see that they can make a career out of it.” The idea that talented people advance “is ingrained in our culture,” he says, and it’s supported through continuous training and a commitment to promoting from within.

Hilda Tolentino, senior manager of international sales and marketing at Hormel Foods Corporation, echoes the importance of the company’s training program from day one of a new hire and continuing on through the employee’s career. “In general, the salespeople at Hormel are taken care of by the company, and each individual’s contribution is valued,” says Tolentino, who recently marked 12 years with Hormel. “The company listens and acts positively on constructive feedback to make the job not just a job but a career.”
Iron Mountain (#6, Service)

Sales superpower: identifying and addressing the sales force’s needs.

Moving mountains is hard. But Iron Mountain, a leader in the records-management, data-protection-and-recovery, and information-destruction services, makes a point of keeping abreast of its sales team’s needs and moving in the right direction.

The 60-plus-year-old company, headquartered in Boston, has more than 20,000 employees worldwide. And while company culture can vary region by region, “at the corporate level, the company understands what needs to be done,” says former account manager Celine Foord. “Iron Mountain has been able to anticipate and identify [salespeople’s challenges] and move toward solving them,” she says, noting that the company is going through current restructuring and infrastructure changes. She names software and infrastructure upgrades as recent moves the company has taken to create more internal efficiencies. In a tough market, having a trusted name with a history behind it can open doors that would otherwise remain shut, so Foord notes the company’s strong brand as a draw for salespeople, as well. •