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Top 5 Reasons HR Leaders Should Take That Sales Call
Presentation by: Keith Siegel
Overview
Sales calls can be a wonderful event or an abysmal waste of time…it really depends on an individualized basis but the best of sales professionals can afford you lifelong business value (knowledge, products, services) and a great relationship.
Great sales people are focused on delivering insight and respectfully challenging assumptions. By taking the sales call, you get news and information you may not have been privy to beforehand.
As a best practice, set aside an hour a week to connect with salespeople…it will positively impact your personal and professional ROI.
#1 It’s About Your Network
Besides your education, and experience, your network is a vital part of your arsenal for acquiring talent and networking with other like minded professionals. Salespeople can be an incredibly valuable conduit for networking and introductions.
Most sales professionals are familiar with “no”. Turn that to your advantage. They can be a viable partner in your vetting and investigating the market for additional people, services, and solutions without fear of hearing a “no” or having a door shut on them.
#2 Professional Salespeople Can Teach
Sales professionals are experts in their field, negotiations, internal “selling” and can often provide a view your internal team can’t readily see.
They are very knowledgeable based on their work and educational background- don’t dismiss what they can offer you.
As a leader, you need to look at the big picture and create a vision and strategy for HCM. Salespeople can offer very good insight and bring resources that help you vet your thinking.
#3 You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Salespeople bring a wealth of knowledge about project management, internal selling, working with procurement and understanding how to coordinate with IT. You may do this once a year. Salespeople do it all the time. Leverage this asset.
On occasion, your internal team may have a bias for a course of action. Your sales professional can afford you additional perspective that may add color to your view. Yes, they have a product to sell- so do your salespeople- but that doesn’t mean they’ll afford you wrong information.
#4 Tough Questions Need Asking
Salespeople have an innate ability to ask very difficult questions. They aren’t designed to anger you- they’re designed to make you think about how to fix a problem or move a project forward.
The tougher the question, the more valuable the sales professional.
If you aren’t comfortable with tough questions (respectful, but tough), you may very well be in the “wrong chair”.
#5 Your Next Career Move
A Professional Salesperson can be highly insightful about the current market for your next career stop. They are often networked with clients that are/ or may be hiring.
If you are in a vertical market (ex. –pharmaceuticals), you stand a greater chance of being connected to a prospective firm through an intermediary who is trusted.
About Keith Siegel
Keith Siegel is an Enterprise Sales Representative with Cornerstone OnDemand. Keith’s passion is all things
talent and learning & development.
He earned his Masters of Business Administration and Bachelors from Temple University, his Masters of
Education from Arcadia University, his, and his HR Certificate from Villanova University.
He can be reached at:
215.643.6707
