Everyone is your ERP Sales Team

Introduction

When envisioning an exceptional ERP salesperson, the image that often comes to mind is someone well-groomed, with commanding language, crowd-grabbing presentation skills, friendliness, excellent PR skills, persistence, quick-wittedness, or even cunning – much like Rambo in the movie “First Blood,” a lone warrior who secures the deal.

However, unlike other types of sales, ERP sales is a complex B2B sales endeavor. ERP Salespersons must navigate multiple stakeholders over an extended period, ranging from a few months to even years. The average ERP sales cycle is approximately six months. Rambo would likely exhaust his energy if attempting to tackle it alone; success in ERP sales often hinges on Team Selling.

Who Comprises Your Sales Team?

Formal Sales Team

This consists of internal individuals within ERP companies who are assigned sales targets:

Sales/Business Development

The primary ERP salesperson, the face of the company. Success in ERP sales requires more than just product or service selling. If you can sell cars or computers does not provide you with sufficient skill or mindset to be successful in ERP sales.

An effective ERP salesperson excels at listening and drawing out information from prospects.  Effective ERP Salespersons need specialized training such as ERP Solution selling techniques, provided by 1st ERP Consulting.

Pre-Sales Consultant

They are the subject and product experts collaborating closely with ERP salespersons, and assisting in account qualification. Effective pre-sales consultants are trained salespersons disguised as subject experts, offering valuable insights as trusted advisors.

He is part of the solution-selling team and needs to be trained so that he learns how to sell without appearing to be selling. When a pre-sales consultant is seen as a salesperson by the prospect, he has failed in his role as the trusted advisor.

Pre-sales consultants are limited resources in a sales team and need to learn how to effectively utilize their time. Consultants with good product knowledge may not be effective pre-sales consultants.

I often said that the ultimate pinnacle of a high-performing pre-sales consultant can close the deal without a live product demo! A few times throughout my ERP career, I have proven that this is possible.

Supporting Team

These are members working behind the scenes internally during the ERP selling process:

Marketing

An essential resource throughout the lengthy ERP sales cycle, beyond lead generation. Collaborating with the marketing team is vital for planning targeted messages at different stages of the sales cycle, especially for large accounts with long sales cycles.

As the ERP sales cycle takes months or even years to complete, it is not practical for the salesperson to maintain highly intensive contact with the prospect throughout the sales cycle. The sales account manager/salespersons should plan with the marketing team on what messages they should send to the prospects at different stages of the sales cycle to achieve desired objectives.

Implementation Team

I believe that an “ERP sales deal is not closed until the prospect becomes your reference“. The importance of references is that they will help the salesperson to win future sales. So, a good implementation of the ERP project is crucial for closing future ERP deals.

One of the common complaints in ERP is the sales team makes promises without informing the implementation team. If the salespersons want to have their customers become references, they need to work with the implementation team in:

• Strategizing a winning quotation that is deliverable.
• Preparing consultant and project manager interviews by the prospects.
• Proposal presentation to build confidence with the prospects.
• Comprehensive handing over of the signed project (internal project kickoff) to the implementation team to ensure that all promises to the prospects are understood and all identified risks are briefed to the implementation team.
• Feedback on any issues highlighted by the users to the implementation and serve as an intermediary to facilitate communication between consultants and non-technical users during the ERP project implementation.

The objectives of the sales and implementation teams are simple: “Profitable Projects and Happy Customers“.  Happy Customers will help to bring about more profitable projects.

Level Up Sales Team

Members adding value to the sales process:

Senior Managers

They are the essential person to help salespersons obtain access to the senior management of the prospects. Salespersons are usually deemed to be too junior to speak directly to senior managers of the prospects. That’s why they are often given job titles such as director or VP. However, even these job titles may not be sufficient when working with larger organizations. That’s when your senior managers need to be involved to open the door to the senior managers of your prospects even when they do not have a sales role.

In negotiations, senior managers serve as useful tools, as covered in our negotiation training for salespersons.

Industrial Experts

Experienced individuals either internally or externally with profound knowledge of the target market, offering industry-specific insights that resonate with business owners.

Business owners prefer to speak to people who understand their industry and can provide enlightening perspectives about their industry rather than with technical people. So, having someone within your organization can be handy at times, or you can also find one outside your organization who can provide the same impact.

External Sales Team

Sales team members outside the organization:

Partners

Trusted system integrators or third-party consultants collaborating for comprehensive hardware and ERP software proposals.  Just be careful of the ethical issues when you work with some third-party consultants.

Customers

Happy customers are willing to be references – they are your most effective sales team.  Put in your effort to ensure that they are happy with you and your company.

Creative Sales Team

Utilizing unconventional resources can bring you unexpected results limited by your creativity.

Competitors

Your competitors can be your sales team. Yes, you did not hear wrongly.

Experienced salespersons will know their competitors well. Their strength, weaknesses, and strategy. Imagine that you are the first to discover an opportunity and you have deep trust with the prospects. The prospect wants you but needs at least 3 quotations. So, who are the other 2 quotations are you going to suggest to him?

Informal Marketing Agents

Let me give you a challenge. How can you get the C-Level Managers of your targeted large companies to spend two days with you so that you have the opportunity to build relationships and explore selling opportunities with them?

Hint: You need to know what they will be interested in investing two days of their busy schedule. You need to work with an agent who can invite them to the event that you designed.  You may even get the bonus of additional marketing exposure for your company.

Conclusion: Invest in Your Sales Team for Results

Consistently high-performing ERP salespersons exhibit leadership, teamwork, strategic thinking, and coordination skills. That’s why, there is no surprise that many ERP business owners and senior management have strong sales history. Building and incorporating a diverse sales team into the overall sales strategy can significantly increase win rates in substantial deals.

In the dynamic realm of ERP sales, success lies not only in individual prowess but in the collaborative strength of your sales team. A comprehensive ERP sales strategy involves harnessing the collective skills of your team members.

Now, envision taking your ERP team to new heights through targeted training in ERP Team Selling. By investing in your team’s skills and fostering a culture of collaboration, you not only enhance individual capabilities but also create a powerhouse that can navigate the complexities of B2B ERP sales.

Elevate your ERP sales game, secure profitable projects, and cultivate a team of high-performing professionals. Your success begins with a united, well-trained team, internal and external.

We invite you to explore how 1st ERP Consulting can be your trusted partner in achieving ERP success. We are here to collaborate with you, bringing clarity to the complexities and powering up your ERP Sales.

Contact us today and let’s embark on this journey together. Your success is our mission.

Learn More about the author, Raymond Yap, and how we can help you.

#ERPSales #TeamCollaboration #TeamSelling #SalesStrategy #BusinessSuccess #CollaborativeSelling #ERPInsights #SalesTraining #DigitalTransformation #SuccessStrategies #LeadershipInSales #InnovativeSales #BusinessDevelopment #SalesExcellence #TechSales #B2BSales #TeamworkWins #EmpowerYourTeam #SalesJourney #ERPTraining #SalesLeadership #FutureOfSales #CollaborativeSuccess #BusinessGrowth #SalesGamechanger #UnlockPotential