What’s sales have to do with operations? Everything if you want to sell more. Think about who you could invite to your next sales meeting. Are you thinking you should invite people from operations? That department might not be the one that comes to mind.
You may be thinking, what would operations people have to contribute to a sales meeting? That’s not the point. Salespeople cannot do their jobs without the help of a strong operations department.
Joe Girard, the World’s Greatest Salesperson as cited by the Guinness Book of World Records, invited operations staff to an annual barbeque to say thanks. Saying thanks is only one of the benefits of having operations people at your sales meetings. Operations people get to see how hard salespeople work at sales meetings when they develop future growth plans, define strengths over competition, and improve selling skills.
Some operations people can’t believe how hard salespeople work. They thought salespeople dazzle customers with their gift of gab, entertain at restaurants and play a lot of golf. They are amazed that it takes so much more to sell than a silver tongue, a fork and a golf club. They also find new respect for the salespeople they support.
What’s also important to remember is that you need operations to sell. I can remember many times when customers forgot to order a product and needed special handling. When my operations department knew me and remembered that I was able to help them with their key concerns, my issue became important to them. They went out of their way to serve my customers. That helped my sales because I created grateful customers.
Now is the time to begin planning for your next sales meeting. Why not invite a few key operations people to your next sales meeting? You’ll get to understand more about the work they do. They’ll understand more of the work you do. Your customers will benefit and so will your sales.
Best wishes for your sales success!
