If sales fail the business fails :

Frontline is the bottom-line

Frontline is the bottom-line; if sales fail the business fails

There is an old saying that everyone lives by selling something either a product or a service.

This is true from labourer to politician, from entrepreneur to CEO. The only exception would probably be religious leaders or genuine voluntary workers who do not typically complete a transaction but yet offer a service.

Business success solely depends on sales success- an argument that has no opposing view. Revenue is the key driver for any business and it is sales that generate the all important revenue. So the number one priority for any organisation should be sales.If the customer is king, make sales the controlling function.

The ideal functional model is where the organisation places the sales function as the controlling function and all other functions as supporting functions to do one thing right; creating value for the customer through quality and productivity to deliver the targeted bottom-line. Believe in the fact that the frontline is the bottom-line; If you have a strong frontline your business will always have a strong bottom-line.

Understand the fears entertained by sales people and create the right sales culture. Accept that selling is the hardest job in business. We'd all be multimillionaires otherwise, selling products or services to one another.Understand the fears of your sales people, they often receive a 'no' than a 'yes'.

The emotional pressure of this rejection is enormous. Build self reliance among your salespeople. Sell them the images of sales excellence for motivation.

It's also important to adjust your sales culture to the customer's culture to be able to forge a greater bond between the organisation and customer for long-term business health. Praise the sales people when they perform - what is required of them, rather than applauding the results -encourage them to adopt the behaviour of success to a greater degree than they do now. Let improved sales be an outcome of the right behaviour and actions by the sales force.

Create the notion that sales people bring profits not revenue Demonstrate the discipline you expect of your sales people. You should address their issues with energy, urgency and purposefulness.

Use 'sales stars' to influence the rest which you would find in any sales team. Leaders set the selling price and control expenditure; so you know what percentage is profit.Set the right tone at the top and lead by example.

CEO's role

Conventional CEO's think that selling is not their job. Some do not realise the concepts that have been discussed. But the reality is that a CEO's ultimate goal is to sell more to be able to deliver the expected bottom-line for shareholders. CEOs have to spend a significant amount of time talking about customers and sales people to better understand and extend support to the sales leadership. Let everyone know that the sales target is the priority in your job. Set team challenges, when problems occur.

Involve the entire team in their solution. CEOs should go out regularly with the sales staff and I must confess that I love doing it. This would give you the insight you need to make the right business decisions. Fix the problems for them fast. Surprise the team occasionally.

Sales people who are on top in every forum within the organisation should be a regular feature to live the culture. Recognise every significant achievement and celebrate success.

It's this feeling that will keep the sales staff continually motivated.