As any sales executive worth their salt knows, every
business discipline and profession is related to sales
in some fashion. The successful sales executive knows
how to navigate across these fields with ease.
“No matter how an organization is structured,
all the business units will interact with the sales organization
or sales professional at some point directly or indirectly
to support the sale,” says the United Professional
Sales Association.
“Since sales professionals are the focal point
for driving the organization’s revenue, proper
support (or alignment) of the business functions inside
the selling organization is crucial to achieving a competitive
position in the marketplace.”
UPSA cautions sales executives to take the time to understand
the multiple facets of their corporation:
Marketing: When sales works with marketing, an organization
will achieve greater profits and drive more revenue.
Customer Service: Customer service professionals
work alongside sales executives to create a positive buying
atmosphere. Customer service is a value-added service that
is often integral to the success of the sale.
Information Technology: IT and the deployment and
support of that technology will often make or break the
effectiveness of a sales executive. IT employees will enable
the sales process and will often help troubleshoot field
sales calls.
Project Management: Many solution-selling organizations
and those organizations selling services rely on project
managers to define the requirements, determine the scope,
manage communication, and create the service offering.
Project Managers work with sales executives to create the
right service or product for the customer.
Production: This is the crucial business unit that
produces what the sales executive is selling. This could
be the production facility, the organization that codes
software, the custom database programmer, or the customization
team, to name but a few.
Training: Training provides a crucial link in the
continued advancement of the sales executive.
Administration: The administration of the internal
forms, documentation, and other paperwork are crucial to
properly selling the product and or service.
Accounting/Finance: Accounting and finance organizations
play a crucial role in helping sales executives build a
return on investment strategy that resonates with the buying
organization, as well as maintain competitive advantage
in the marketplace
Executive Management: Obviously, the proper executive
level leadership is crucial to the overall alignment of
the organization to support its sales executives.
Human Resource: Human Resource functions such as
compensation, hiring, and development practices for sales
executives must encompass the entire continuum of the sales
experience. The right talent must be hired into the best
sales positions that fit individual strengths and weaknesses.
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