This past weekend I was visiting with my friend and former colleague who now works as a sales consultant for a large, specialty medical device company promoting capital equipment.  She shared some of the templates and tools she’s created in order to make hers and her clients’ jobs easier.  They were extremely impressive in usefulness and professionalism, and I could see immediately that she put many hours of her valuable time into creating them.

So I begged the question, “Doesn’t your company provide you with any of these things?” “No – nothing”, was her reply. In fact, the only sales tools she’s provided are clinical studies. Furthermore, the sales tools she created are being spread around the company like wild fire. Clearly the company’s internal and external customers (the sales force and the clients, respectively) desperately need them. 

The tools she made include process and procedure documents (with vital team information so customers can contact all the different people they need in order to effectively market, utilize and troubleshoot the device), Installation and Quick Start checklists, Calibration Log forms, directions on how to utilize a database for tracking outcomes, equipment and environmental parameters, and FDA approval ranges.

Wow!  Excuse me but what is marketing doing about this?

This is a classic example of organizational ineffectiveness.  This is not what you want your best sales talent to be doing – making their own vital resources for themselves and your customers instead of selling.  By not providing your sales force with effective tools you’ll leave them no choice but to create their own.  And who knows, maybe your best people will become so frustrated with your service they will jump ship along with your clients –ineffective!

So what are your marketing department’s tools for sales effectiveness?  Provide key sales tools, and you can directly improve effectiveness, customer loyalty and your company’s attractiveness in the market.

Provide your sales force with a comprehensive set of tools for selling

Using the example above, a clinical study serves one purpose: to provide evidence for the product/service.  A key tool, it will not get the job done all on its own.  In addition to data, create “rapport tools” that provide customers with extremely helpful information around their issues – such as a non-promotional and industry-relevant report or guide, for example.  This will warm prospects to your sales & marketing message more quickly. 

Improve sales conversions by providing “emotional tools” in the form of various case studies for your sales force to share and leave behind with customers.  Case studies help prospects relate to your message personally by helping them picture themselves benefiting from your product/service.

Tools that generate rapport, evidence and emotions improve sales effectiveness (online or offline).  Don’t just provide one of these tools!  Conversion rates will be weak if at all and your sales force will be depleted of motivation and performance.

Provide your sales force with tools for customer loyalty

The need for effective sales tools doesn’t stop at conversion!  Once your sales force has been successful at converting prospects to customers, you need to give them tools for customer loyalty.  To be clear, customer loyalty is earned as a result of providing positive customer experiences during every possible interaction with your company.

Because your sales people will be directly communicating with your customers, you will want to provide customer management protocols and interpersonal skills training.  You will also want to give your sales force the ability to pass along useful templates, ongoing education, lists, checklists, and procedures for how your customers can best work with your product, service and company (like my friend is forced to do nearly every day on her own!). 

Identify what these positive customer experiences and tools are as they specifically apply to your company (ask the sales team, I guarantee they will tell you!) and put them in the hands of your sales force.

Improve effectiveness; increase attractiveness!

Your sales force will be as successful as the tools you give them. If you improve sales effectiveness for conversion and retention, you will contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization: the marketplace will see your company as an attractive place to work, do business, and emulate  performance!

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