Selling Power TV Interview: Does Your Sales Process Create Value?

Gerhard Gschwandtner interviews Michael Webb on Selling Power TV: 

A quote for sales and marketing managers from this interview:

“Most people think that process is about discipline, making sure the sales guy does this, that, and the other thing. And, I don’t believe that. Process is about creating value.

“Really good salespeople can invent ways of creating value. But often, they spend 90% of their time trying to work their way around all the roadblocks that their own company puts in the way …”

Gerhard’s questions:

Why did you write the book?

“I had the opportunity to learn how process excellence worked in manufacturing, and I always wondered how come you couldn’t apply that wonderful business system to sales and marketing …”

Can you give us a case example?

“Threaded throughout the book is a client who sold water filtration. Their first bottleneck was in the keeping – customer service – side of the business. …”

Help me understand the relationship between strategy and process, and how do we get alignment?

“Market research (and strategy) might tell you where the most fruitful parts of the market are, but process is going to give you the feedback and allow you to do the experiments that you can learn in order to optimize …”

“I see anything that is not connected directly to measurements of data and evidence – people’s  actions – as pretty useless. Unfortunately strategy is often just associated with big ideas … “

A full transcript of this interview is available in the professional members area of SPIF. This was a great opportunity to explain Sales Process Excellence in a nut-shell. Let me know what you think!

And, visit https://www.sellingpower.com/Cloud to subscribe to Selling Power Magazine.

Order your copy of Sales Process Excellence today.

Michael