Do your sales have a budget?

Those who know me know that I don’t play very well with politics.

Not because of party issues but because I consider that in most cases, it is not in the hands of the ordinary citizen to do something for things to improve on a national level.

Unless we are in election season, when in fact, there is a potential to contribute to one or another alternative that seems more acceptable or more credible.

I do know, to borrow Kennedy’s now famous words, that what we can do is in our own hands, and we often ignore it or pass it by without intervening.

The question, “Do your sales have a budget?” has a robust rationale.

Many of the companies with which we have been in contact recently, and there have been many, in the face of a sense of urgency to empower and improve the commercial activity and attitude are not always focused on this question.

But after all, what do we mean by “has a budget”? Are we referring to a line item in the company’s overall budget?

Yes and no!

Yes, because it will have to be part of that budget.

No, because sometimes you have to go further and think outside the box.

In challenging times, you tend to cut back on everything you can.

The decision is correct, and if something positive came from all the international and national instability, it was the awareness that investment decisions have to be much more thoughtful.

In the case of sales, what we observe systematically and with disastrous results is a cut in the funds allocated to commercial initiatives with clients and potential clients.

Our clients will retract (but not eliminate) altogether their investment and the purchases they make, and they will observe their negotiations and purchasing processes more strictly.

The process of attracting and keeping current customers has become even more critical these years.

How companies and their salespeople address these issues will be critical to their success, or should I say survival, in the coming months and years.

Now imagine that you turn off the commercial and marketing funds.

What do you think will happen?

Imagine that you stop properly motivating, training, and adequately accompanying your commercial team.

What do you think will happen?

Imagine that you slow down contact points, initiatives, meetings, lunches, and visits to your current clients.

What do you think will happen?

This week stop for a moment to think about all this:

“How can I further improve and streamline my company’s commercial machine?”

Originally published at Results Driven.