Are salespeople really part of a team? Shouldn’t a good salesperson be able to do it all? Many salespeople view themselves as gunslingers. They are a one man show who will get the job done by themselves without the aid or assistance of anyone. If this was ever the norm, then it certainly isn’t today. In the majority of today’s sales situations it is becoming more of a reality that salespeople will need to act as “sales specialists” who are part of a team rather than lone rangers.
What then is the role of the “sales specialist”? To answer this question, consider the role of an orchestra conductor. A conductor’s role is to direct a musical performance. They direct the musicians who play the instruments. The person that plays the instrument is the “instrumental technician”. The conductor directs the technicians. A sales specialist’s role is very similar, to conduct a “communication value performance”. The sales specialist directs the presentation of the value of his company’s value solution to a listening audience - their prospective client. He does this by first assembling the technicians who are part of his solution team and then directing them in a performance of value delivery.
Today’s most successful sales people will understand how to assemble teams of technical specialists who understand purchasing, production, engineering, accounting and various additional technical specialties. He will then direct this team in presenting the value performance to their clients. As a conductor knows when the brass, strings and percussion is required to make beautiful music, the sales conductor will know when and how to discuss purchasing, production, technology etc.. so that his audience will clearly understand his company’s value performance. Gunslinger, no. Conductor, yes. Sales people don’t have to do it all. They only need to conduct their team
