‘Sales’ doesn’t have to be a dirty word

By Alex Moyle

NEW BOOK: Why taking sales culture beyond the sales team is the key to surviving the digital revolution

Why this book matters:

• Digitization and automation have radically altered buyer behaviour and killed businesses that were too slow to adapt their models. Professional services firms have been relatively insulated from this digital revolution so far, but change is coming. And it is happening fast.
• As prices become more transparent, knowledge is more freely available and markets become more competitive, simply being good at what you do and delivering on time is no longer enough for firms to attract and retain customers.
• Many people still see selling as something that is beyond (or even below) them, but the reality is that generating profit should be a concern for every member of staff, and every touchpoint with customers is an opportunity to sell.
• Businesses must change or die – a sales-focused business culture that extends beyond the sales team is now an essential ingredient for profitability, and this book explains how to change mindsets and build a sales culture in any organisation.

The digital revolution has caused a fundamental shift in the way we buy and consume goods and services.

Household name brands have been wiped out because they failed to adapt their business model, while in other sectors, such as professional services, firms are still bracing themselves for the major disruptions that are inevitably on their way.

The harsh reality of today’s world is that information is more freely available than ever before, technological changes are happening quicker, prices are more transparent, processes are more automated and customer loyalty is decreasing. This means companies are having to dedicate more time and effort every day to winning and retaining customers.

So, whose job is it to make sure a firm continues to expand its customer base in such a competitive market? The sales team? Marketing?

In his new book, Business Development Culture, sales leadership expert Alex Moyle argues that selling and generating business profit should be an objective shared by the whole organisation, not just the sales team. He challenges the misconception that sales is somehow unseemly, or that it requires people to be pushy, and provides practical tools and strategies to build a business culture where everyone is proactively working to win and retain customers at every touchpoint, whatever their role.

Drawing on the author’s experience of working with sales teams and exclusive insights from leaders of well-known companies, Business Development Culture provides practical advice for people who have never previously had to sell, people whose role involves delivering a service, and people who have switched from selling products to selling solutions. It enables every department to actively contribute to long-term business growth, and encourages business leaders to:

• Avoid the smart dumb paradox – don’t hire smart people and treat them like they are stupid. Ensure everyone is involved in identifying and solving business problems and creating of strategy
• Empower teams with knowledge of how the market is changing and how your strategy helps you steal market share
• Acknowledge that sales is less about closing a deal, and increasingly about relationship building so that your clients come to you
• Encourage sales teams to talk about the problems you solve for the customer, but also what problems you don’t solve. If you don’t, your competitors will!
• Align sales and marketing and remember that the two increasingly overlap
• Know your employees, and understand that their motivation is key to unlocking their effort

Business Development Culture: Taking Sales Culture Beyond the Sales Team by Alex Moyle is out now, published by Kogan Page, priced £19.99

By Alex Moyle

NEW BOOK: Why taking sales culture beyond the sales team is the key to surviving the digital revolution

Why this book matters:

• Digitization and automation have radically altered buyer behaviour and killed businesses that were too slow to adapt their models. Professional services firms have been relatively insulated from this digital revolution so far, but change is coming. And it is happening fast.
• As prices become more transparent, knowledge is more freely available and markets become more competitive, simply being good at what you do and delivering on time is no longer enough for firms to attract and retain customers.
• Many people still see selling as something that is beyond (or even below) them, but the reality is that generating profit should be a concern for every member of staff, and every touchpoint with customers is an opportunity to sell.
• Businesses must change or die – a sales-focused business culture that extends beyond the sales team is now an essential ingredient for profitability, and this book explains how to change mindsets and build a sales culture in any organisation.

The digital revolution has caused a fundamental shift in the way we buy and consume goods and services.

Household name brands have been wiped out because they failed to adapt their business model, while in other sectors, such as professional services, firms are still bracing themselves for the major disruptions that are inevitably on their way.

The harsh reality of today’s world is that information is more freely available than ever before, technological changes are happening quicker, prices are more transparent, processes are more automated and customer loyalty is decreasing. This means companies are having to dedicate more time and effort every day to winning and retaining customers.

So, whose job is it to make sure a firm continues to expand its customer base in such a competitive market? The sales team? Marketing?

In his new book, Business Development Culture, sales leadership expert Alex Moyle argues that selling and generating business profit should be an objective shared by the whole organisation, not just the sales team. He challenges the misconception that sales is somehow unseemly, or that it requires people to be pushy, and provides practical tools and strategies to build a business culture where everyone is proactively working to win and retain customers at every touchpoint, whatever their role.

Drawing on the author’s experience of working with sales teams and exclusive insights from leaders of well-known companies, Business Development Culture provides practical advice for people who have never previously had to sell, people whose role involves delivering a service, and people who have switched from selling products to selling solutions. It enables every department to actively contribute to long-term business growth, and encourages business leaders to:

• Avoid the smart dumb paradox – don’t hire smart people and treat them like they are stupid. Ensure everyone is involved in identifying and solving business problems and creating of strategy
• Empower teams with knowledge of how the market is changing and how your strategy helps you steal market share
• Acknowledge that sales is less about closing a deal, and increasingly about relationship building so that your clients come to you
• Encourage sales teams to talk about the problems you solve for the customer, but also what problems you don’t solve. If you don’t, your competitors will!
• Align sales and marketing and remember that the two increasingly overlap
• Know your employees, and understand that their motivation is key to unlocking their effort

Business Development Culture: Taking Sales Culture Beyond the Sales Team by Alex Moyle is out now, published by Kogan Page, priced £19.99