Sales is nothing more or less than finding and creating demand. To bring together demand and supply at the right moment in the right way. Sales is a practical area. It is just learning by doing, analysing mistakes and most of all: dare to act! No salesman is getting sales for free. Often, people think that sales is nothing more than answering the phone and picking the order. Or loyal visiting prospects or customers just to fill the agenda. This is not always true. A salesman must always deliver a sales effort, more or less, to be successful.

Sales is a subject, that demands great sensitivity and lots of patience. Knowledge, of course, is indispensable because today’s customer is either ignorant or a specialist himself. Does he perceive the salesman as a sparring partner or does he trust his decision to the judgement and advice of the salesman? Sales is all about being alert, sensing chances before they actually appear, being creative in sales meetings, using the good old network, but most of all: listen carefully!

Sales is more. It contains Business Development to implement new sales strategies. But also how to make more out of sales opportunities. But there are more ways to get to a ‘Roman’ deal. Is the current customerbase already lined up and are salesmen using CRM in the right way? These are all processes to make the life of a salesman as easy as possible.

But what happens if sales results do not meet the expectations? To (re)vitalize the sales team is a matter of careful and intensive coaching. A thorough analysis of the individual results will give a clear view on the team achievement. A helicopter view and creating a total solution will help solving the current problems. Necessary, sometimes dramatic, decisions can than be made to meet the sales expectations again. And that is where it is all about!

How Jan de Zeeuw Interim Sales Management & Advies can help, can be discussed in a personal and confidential -free of charge- consult.