On any given day an Enterprise sales rep is wearing many hat's-leading and managing his resources- at both his company as well as his customer. How do Enterprise reps do it? What does it take to be a succesful Enterprise sales rep?
It's an elite breed of sales rep- the Enterprise Sales Executive- a sales executive that is born from their organizations abilities to meet the needs of their clients- across the entire enterprise.
What do these Super Hero Sales rep do in their role? Everything- from account planning and strategy, management of the account planning and strategy process; development, review, establishing goals, objectives and assigning resources and timeframes.
They work collaboratively with the account, as well as their team mates and even engaging outside partners; strategizing these resources in step with their customers timeframe. They also have to do all the other basic sales processes- identify and pursue sales opportunities, positioning their product/company- maintain an accurate timely pipeline, Build trust and credibility, utilize virtual resources, manage contracts etc.
Sound exhausting? As one who walked in these steps as a ERP Enterprise sales executive, I can vouch for the incredible juggling that this role entails. So what does it take to be a good Enterprise Sales Executive (ESE)?
Being as this sales person is often a company's point person; coordinating not only sales but also support and post sales account management, the ESE must be able to develop relationships across their own organization as well as their customers; be able to handle themselves professionally in the Executive suite, and gain a deep solid understanding of what drive their customers businesses. They see themselves as partners with their customers to jointly deliver the solution.
"Today's best team leaders are seasoned professionals who not only represent their companies well, but are tasked to with building bridges with nearly every functional group within their customer organizations." Says Greg Welch, Spencer Stuart.
ESE's need to possess effective management skills necessary to shepherd the resources, exceptional listening skills- to understand the customers business and business problem. They must be an advocate for their customer within their own organization, as well as be readily available to their customer. Innovative and creative problem solving helps to make solutions that might not work actually, "fit".
As an Enterprise Sales Executive, how can you be successful?
* You must be well respected within your organization, and have the clout to make things happen. I can recall ESE's that wasted resources in the organization, and the word got out. Their ability to re-engage this busy and in high demand resources were always a challenge. This is in the customer’s best interest, especially in an environment in which customized solutions are the norm rather than the exception.
* Do your homework and Listen. You will be aligned with their executive staff, so you had better know their pedigree, what their goals are, and as much information as you can access to be able to converse with them to gain and build trust. They are busy, and as such appreciate a "partner" who walks in the door with some knowledge, enough to make them feel comfortable- no knowledge guarantees you'll be referred down the ladder to have a more JR person fill you in on the company etc. Once you begin asking the open ended questions that demonstrate your knowledge of their industry/company; listen. LISTEN. Hear what they are saying. How can you be an advocate for the customer, if you don't listen to what their problem might be?
* Think like an executive, and begin viewing organizations with a "CEO Vision". Speak the "language” of the decision makers, understands the customers “go to market" strategy. Read more about the challenges of CEO's and their executive staff. You won't sell an Enterprise solution these days without executive involvement, so the sooner you can walk in their shoes the more effective you can be.
* Learn, Learn and keep learning. The markets that ESE play is typically very dynamic. The players change constantly and the technology is very progressive. With that said, if you love this kind of dynamic environment, and the constant learning it entails, your in for a fun ride.
* Master your core selling skills. After all, you carry a quota (typically over 1 million) and need to bring in the revenue quarterly. The better you can master your core selling skills, the more effort you can devote to the other aspects of this diverse sales role.
* While the obvious- "Know thy competition" is part of your core selling techniques, "Know thy Customer's Competition" is just as important. I would never consider going into a company without knowing who their competition is, how they differ, what they need to accomplish from a business perspective, and what they are trying to do in the market. Also, knowing what type of competitive solution is in place at their competitors, in regards to your solution is just as important. Calling on a client whose industry is dominated by SAP implementations, is key to knowing how you can set yourself apart as an Oracle rep and what you have in store in the future exploration.
* Develop Leadership skills. Between sales and technical support, an ESE might lead a team of up to 50 to 100 people (on a large account) and working in synergy with the resources at the customer site. Most, if not all of these resources, won't report into the ESE, however to be successful an ESE needs to use solid leadership skills, to gain cooperation to make and implement a sale. I have witnessed the inability of ESE's to engage the resources not as much do to availability, but their standing in the company was not very good- which impacted their ability to get good or any resources.
* Educate yourself on Business Analysis and Strategy, plus the industries you will be selling into. Plenty of the ESE's calling on executive clients, are involved in discussions around profit and loss statements, and the impact of the solution on a business, and the obvious- Return on Investment (ROI). Since it is the ESE's job to create a business solution, and demonstrate an ROI or impact on the business, knowing about this is essential. Also knowledge on the nuances of a certain industry can aid in helping your client. Knowing the specifics around a manufacturing company VS a retail organization helps your client see that you can address their specific needs.
Companies understand the importance in these customer facing roles, and work hard to insure they have the right person in the job; as such they pay special attention to the skill set of potential hires. Below you will find an actual posting for an ESE in regards to educational and experience-
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:
# Proven sales track record required as well as demonstrated and recognized ability to coach, lead and create value for other virtual team members.
# Consultative selling experience is also required, preferably in a team-based customer engagement process.
# Previous success in handling large transactions, and projects over lengthy discovery, evaluation and implementation periods in a fast-paced and competitive market.
# Experience with Power Base Selling Methodology or similar program desired.
# 5-7 years with proven experience selling enterprise software solutions at the C level.
# Experience with Enterprise sales to the business side of an organization including operations, finance and IT is required
# Experience with Healthcare or selling Healthcare software would be a plus. Experience with any labor, HR or Payroll experience would also be a plus.
# Consistently exceeded a $1 Million + quota.
As many of you know, sales is about the inherent character of the person, while it might be content specific, in general it is about integrity and empathy. Salespeople who can create trust and develop relationships have a better chance of succeeding. These traits are not trainable. However, with proper coaching the basic ability to connect with others can be enhanced, and does help a sales rep in their learning curve.
At the end of the day, this is about connecting with folks- both inside and outside your organization, the measurement of that potential needs to be explored with any incoming prospective ESE.
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