Sales managers of security systems: myths and reality of modern requirements.
Regardless of whether your company's sales managers are focused on actively searching for clients or on working with «incoming requests» and an existing client base, carefully and painstakingly nurtured by an active marketing strategy and marketers, they interact with potential or existing clients every day. Regardless of the price niche of the product your company offers — be it a cheap Chinese-made video camera or an expensive comprehensive solution for a distributed facility — you expect this interaction with the client to end with a successful sale and develop into long-term cooperation that brings in good money. The success of your business depends on how professional your sales managers are and how effective your client interaction system is. The need to have both is especially evident during periods of economic downturn, when budgets are cut and the client becomes more demanding. And times are changing – the Russian security market has already been formed, and the consumer is tempted by the availability of a wide range of alternatives of different price ranges and quality.
In this article, I will try to dispel some existing myths about the requirements for sales personnel. I hope that the information provided in this article will help you expand your client list and increase the number of orders, despite the ongoing crisis in the security industry.
Recruitment can be done by yourself or by recruiting agencies specializing in recruiting personnel on the Russian security market. In my opinion, there are several myths about what requirements a security systems sales manager should meet.
The most widespread myth in the security market is that a sales manager must have experience in the security industry. In fact, I am convinced that the only mandatory experience that a potential sales manager must have is sales experience. He or she must master the basic approaches to interacting with a client, know the principles of conducting and concluding a deal, be able to respond to client objections with arguments, initiate contacts with a potential customer, properly build communication with him or her and maintain relationships. The listed skills are much more important than knowledge of the market and a specific product, experience of working in a similar market. This knowledge and experience can be acquired within 1-6 months, depending on the specifics of the product itself. Contacts with clients and connections are developed, but the ability to sell and the personal qualities required for this are not always necessary. First of all, when selecting a sales manager (or head of the sales department), it is important to pay attention to such personal characteristics as:
ambition and internal motivation for achievements;
— activity;
— high performance;
— ability to build a dialogue, communication skills;
— organization;
— the ability to easily acquire new knowledge and skills;
— the ability to persuade.
Such qualities are quite difficult to acquire; they must be present in a person from the beginning, unlike knowledge of the product and the market.
Another misconception about sales personnel is that the only investment a company makes to a manager is their salary. In addition to the cost of maintaining a sales manager, it is necessary to regularly invest in training and advanced training for the employee. Rapidly improving technologies and the process of globalization of markets make it necessary to conduct training on products or sales technologies for personnel. Increasing the level of knowledge and motivating the manager, it is necessary to ensure the application of the acquired knowledge and skills in practice, that is, to direct the incurred costs for the benefit of your company and business. This can be done by conducting regular tests immediately after the training and after some time. You can also include a certain indicator in the employee bonus system. For example, a few days after an employee has completed training on building IP networks based on N equipment, you can ask him to take a short test of 10 questions on this topic and reward him for successfully passing the test with small non-material (additional time off, encouragement of new opportunities, etc.) or material rewards (free subscription to a favorite magazine, movie tickets, etc.).
One of the main skills of a security systems sales manager is the ability to consult a customer, and not «foist» a product on him. A sales manager should be able to consult a potential buyer not only on the main characteristics of the product, but also on the principles of its operation, as well as on the level of demand for this product, the percentage of market growth this year compared to last year and the year before, as well as on the expected growth in the future, your company's market share and its development strategy, etc. The position of a consultant will allow you not only to effectively build communication, but also to maintain relations with the customer, turning him from a one-time buyer into a regular customer.
Having established the first contact with a potential client, it is necessary to call him back in a few days and clarify whether he has read your offer and whether he has any questions. Do not be intrusive and put pressure. If the client has admitted that he has not yet had time to review the information, it is important to agree that you will call back at a convenient time for him. And most importantly — call back! The main mistake I have encountered in the position of someone's potential client is the «disappearance» of the manager after promising to call back at a certain time. Naturally, when he called me again a month after the agreed date, I perceived the information from him completely differently.
If we are talking about selling a solution or complex high-tech equipment, then a personal meeting with a potential customer will significantly increase the chances of success. In addition, many people perceive information much better in person than by phone or e-mail. Personal communication helps to build a trusting relationship with the client and facilitates the conclusion of the deal.
The manager's ability to think long-term is especially valuable during a crisis. Of course, a network video camera installation project is more profitable for the company. But before offering the customer to completely replace the analog system with a digital one, offer a step-by-step replacement option, namely the use of devices for encoding an analog signal into a digital one. In the future, when the customer's budget is not so limited, he will be able to switch to network video cameras.
The list of necessary qualities and skills for your sales staff can (and should) certainly be continued, I have listed, in my opinion, the most important ones. When making this list, do not forget the main thing — there are no ideal managers, but this is what everyone should strive for.