"Selling is the oldest profession, yet in many ways, it has not moved on. There has been no step change in sales practice. Perhaps now is time for sales professionals and sales leaders to radically rethink what is required."
Much can be done to improve the professionalism of salespeople. Perhaps the profession would benefit from a more academic approach? Unlike other professions, few universities offer degrees in selling. This is curiously absurd given the key role sales play in driving economic growth.
In this paper, Dr. Philip Squire, CEO Consalia, Professor David Hennessey, and Michael Hurley, Director, Hewlett Packard, look at how the values of salespeople directly impact the ability to create value in the sales process, particularly with complex and global contracts. It looks at research with customers and their expectations and proposes a paradigm shift in what companies look for in recruiting salespeople to meet those requirements.
The article also examines how a change in approach led to success in closing over $5bn of deals and doubling the conversion rate in winning new business.