Two Heads Are Better

If the saying, “two heads are better than one,” holds true, then it makes perfect sense to have sales managers and reps make joint sales calls. It makes perfect “cents” as well, for often the manager’s presence elevates the call’s status and reassures a tentative customer, leading to more sales. Nevertheless, managers who take part in sales calls must remember that they can destroy their sales reps’ self-confidence and independence if they try to take over the sales process.

Melinda Morrison, director of sales and marketing for Cargo Transport Inc. in North Billerica, MA, and Cargo’s senior account executive (AE) Jeffrey MacNeil,often team up to ensure that an account is performing at peak level. Morse sees her role as making herself available to guide and assist the AEs in finding creative solutions to any problems that may arise. “My role is to act as a coach and to help uncover details about the account,” she explains.

However, she emphasizes that her job is not to take over the account. “The activities required to secure and retain business are the responsibility of the AE. As a sales team, we routinely review accounts to determine if any are under performing. When such accounts are identified, I do not take over the account. I review the steps that might be needed to upgrade the account and work the account together with the appropriate AE.”

Morrison often accompanies account executives on such calls. “During the sales calls the AEs take the lead. I do not want to infringe on their authority or power with the customers.”

Sales reps are further reassured because there is no split commission – it all goes to the account executives.

When it comes to structuring joint sales calls, Morrison explains that they deal with each account individually. “We have no set guidelines,” she says, “but we meet ahead of each joint call and cover the strategy before we go in, to determine our specific objectives. Most of the time I act as an extra set of eyes and ears to make sure that all opportunities are covered on the call.”

On sales calls Morrison and her AEs use a questioning style based on Neil Rackham’s four-step SPIN process to reveal a client’s full range of needs:
(S) Ask questions that uncover the current situation and needs
(P) Ask questions to reveal Problems customers may be having
(I) Discuss the Implications of the customers’ concerns
(N) Determine the Need payoff, where “we show customers how we can help satisfy their specific needs,” Morrison says.

Afterward Morrison and the AE review the joint sales call. “I consistently work with the AE for strategy,” she points out. “My value on the call as a manager is that we can often raise the schmooze level. Certain customers feel that they are more important to us because a manager has come along. Others bring a higher level of contacts to the meeting.”

However, Morrison never forgets that the AE is in control. “All follow-up is handled by the AE,” she says. “This emphasizes the key role of the AE and reinforces the fact that the AE is, in fact, in charge of the account.”

“When my manager goes on a sales call,” MacNeil adds, “I usually handle the call. She chimes in if she has a question.”

The postcall review determines what is necessary to retain the business for that account and win more business. In fact, careful planning and structuring of the approach for each customer are a hallmark of Morrison’s team approach to increasing sales per account.

Nancy Shuler LeDoux, formerly the director of the commercial division for Precision Office Movers in Forestville, MD, says there are several reasons why she has used “double teaming,” or making sales calls together with her sales representatives. For one, her perspective is broader than that of her reps who specialize in moving. “I provided the additional expertise to give clients an overview of all of the services we provided that they might possibly need,” she says.

Going out with a salesperson is simply another tool in the sales process. “We – my sales associates and I – were a team, and we were all out there getting work for our team,” LeDoux explains. “The presence of a manager to reinforce a salesperson’s claim that we care about doing a good job for the company is just one more service for the customer.”

LeDoux feels that her status as manager on a call gave the team leverage to move from the decision maker involved with an office move to other, sometimes higher-level decision makers within the organization who may handle other facets of the operation where Precision could provide additional needed services.

“Offering other services not only increased dollar value of the account for us. It also provided the client with additional services and gave the client more confidence in us – even for the move.

“Our salespeople specialized in selling office moving. We trained them to look for other things – records storage, office installation, etc. The sales representatives let the customers know that our concern was their concern – that the move would be handled expeditiously and their setup handled so well that they would not loose any revenue. Their people could work up to the last minute because our people would handle all the details.

“Taking a manager along sometimes solidifies the deal,” says LeDoux. “Customers feel that their account is so important that you are bring your top management into this; that often helps them decide in your favor.”