A Dialogue of Subtext: Everything that the Sales Manager Would Like to Say, But is Clueless to Resolve
March 1, 2007

"So, John. How are things going in the territory?"
(I want to bring up the fact that John hasn't opened up a new account in two years.)

"Fine. Really good. Loving it."
(I'm bored to tears, and I have no idea what the hell you want from me.)

"How are you doing on getting the Acme Steak and Meatball Factory account?"
(I already know the answer. You're clueless on how to sell complex customers.)

"Well, I'm making progress, slowly but surely."
(I have no clue where they are even located, so hopefully you'll go onto another subject.)

"I see." (pause)
(I am positive that John is not being honest with me. How do I get to the issue of his not opening new accounts?)

"Yeah, they are one tough prospect. It's like they are owned by our biggest competitor."v (Even if I did try calling on them, I wouldn't get anywhere.)

"Well. Keep up the good work on the other accounts. You don't want to go backwards."
(Please God, let him take his existing customers out to play golf enough that they don't start asking him to actually sell anything.)

Most companies expect their salespeople to develop new business. If they have sales managers, they generally expect the managers to drive salespersons toward the holy grail of generating significant new business.

"Holy Grail" is an apt term, in the case of opening new accounts. Opening new accounts is an elusive, sometimes difficult process that is similar to finding one of the most elusive objects thought to exist in our universe.

I believe that managers have to look at their own behavior, in this case related to developing new accounts; before criticizing their sales reps for not opening their share of new business.

If your organization has expectations of building new business, and chooses to do it through its sales team, here are a few suggestions:

1. Start with the strategic planning process: Ensure that senior management is committed to developing new business, and to the time and dollars associated with its successful pursuit.
2. Be realistic about your organization's ability to differentiate itself from its best competitor. Recognize that the account you covet is the account your best competitor is likely to hold onto like an iron vice.
3. Assign the correct rep to the account. For goodness sake, don't let the rep currently assigned to the account hold onto it forever, if he/she is not the right fit.
4. If the rep is not the "right fit," consider what is lacking in them. Is it their experience, related to sales and/or product training? Or, are they just not suited for the responsibility of opening new business? (Max Lucado stated in his book, "The Cure for the Common Life," that almost ¾ of the workforce are in positions for which they are not naturally suited.)
5. If the rep is suited for sales, in particular opening new business and its attendant thrills and spills, then you need to be clear about where in the process of developing new business they are weak.
6. Diagram the process you would spell out for your newest rep in pursuing new business. Don't assume that the most veteran rep really understands the process.
7. Could you pursue a complex new account? Where would your weak links exist? Remember, even if you do nine of 10 things well, a personal or organizational flaw will throw the effort into the vast wasteland of "rainy day accounts."
8. Consider outside resources for mapping your new account strategy. This includes understanding the customer's buying cycle and associated decision- making process.
9. This includes being able to discover key competitive and situational information, as well as the ability to effectively develop a customer awareness of a problem severe enough to want to change to your particular product/solution.
10. And, this would require being able to draw your internal resources around the initiatives to attract, initiate, implement and retain your new customer, knowing that there will be incredible competitive efforts to discredit your efforts, and throw the fear of the devil himself into your customer should he make the decision to change to your wretched company.

I realize that the above 10 points are only a starting point. However, in working with clients, I continually hear how important new business development is to their ongoing financial health. The problem is, that the managers often spend more time making excuses for poor new business development, as opposed to looking in the mirror and starting with basic business strategies and associated tactics.

In closing, opening new business is not easy. It is scary, to many. Ironically, it can be scariest to veteran managers and reps that have the most experience. It is uncomfortable, when there are no clear directional signs.

So, we resort to asking our newest reps to go out and get their heads beaten into the ground, as they pursue the new accounts that our most veteran sales team members should be pursuing and effectively managing. We simply aren't willing to look at being honest with ourselves about our planning and readiness to face this difficult task.

Does any of this resonate with you and/or your organization? Are you listening to your subtext, or ignoring it? If so, you're just kidding yourself.