This is the fourth part of a five part series, diving deeper into individual points from the post : “5 reason’s your product is not at retail”
4 – You have handed off sales to someone…
If you’ve hired a sales manager, sales person, or independent reps, your job is not even close to being done.
Making the hire doesn’t do the job.
As the responsible person (it is your company, right?) you have to guide and lead all parts of the company, including the sales dept. Even if you have no interest or desire to become the sales person on a day to day basis.
Your involvement depends on the type of person you have hired and their scope of responsibility.
If you hire a VP of Sales, then you would expect that person to be able to handle a greater share of the decisions and actions. You can set the strategy, timeline, and expected revenue and let them handle the rest. You still have to check in constantly as to the strategy and execution, however, I have seen the best results when checking on the specific details also. Drilling down with your sales person and team on specific accounts, channels, or deals can make sure that something important isn’t missed.
If you hire an independent sales rep (or several) than you are responsible for far more of the work, the strategy, and the follow up. You have to MANAGE them and their activity on a weekly basis. This is your product, your company, and your sales. If you are not willing to undertake that work yourself, then you need to find someone who will do it for you.
Matt Gorski 