The Importance of a Sales Team

A few years ago I was involved with a technological company. This company had a cutting edge technology and where out in the market before anyone else was out there. However, the CEO of the company decided that out of the 150 employees he had in the company, only 1 should be in sales. Furthermore, when the economical crisis hit the company, the same CEO decided that even this 1 sales manger was too much and that he himself can do the job. Needless to say, that within 2 years the company was down to less then 30 people and on the brink of bankruptcy. 

The above story is real and comes to show the many times in the past I was amazed by how many mangers and CEOs overlook the importance of good, qualified sales team. A lot of mangers view the sales team as a bunch of easily replaceable people. This is especially prevalent in technological companies where the technical personal is seemed to be the most highly respected and with the most prestige as they are creating and doing what the company is all about - Technology. 

However this is a mistake. All companies (aside from NPOs) need to remember that their purpose is to sell. It doesn't matter if the company is selling products, services, expertise or anything else, the reason the company exists is to sell. Therefore, it should be understood that everyone in the company is in a supporting role. Everyone in the company is to support the sales team. Whether it is the R&D (supporting by providing products to sell), Logistics (supporting the delivery of the sale), or the CEO (providing the sales team with the bet tools to do their job-sell). Moreover, it should be understood that it doesn't mater how great the product, service or technology is, without sales it as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. 

Furthermore, many times, and specifically in technological companies, it is expensive to replace and train new sales people. Just imagine how much time it takes to train a sales person. The need to teach that sales person about the service, product, or technology. The need for that sales person to exactly understand the business environment and models involved in what he/she need to sell. Like with any new employee, there is a learning curve that sales people have to go through, however, since their job is to generate cash-flow and income for the company, managers should look more carefully how can they help these most important people in the organization.  

Another factor many managers overlook, is that sales people are the face of the company. These are the people who crate the relationship with the potential and actual customers. Many times business will be conduct because of these personal relationships. However it should be remembered that relationships are not created within a day. They need time to be established and this time need to be given to the sales people. Furthermore, high turnover of sales personal can reflect badly on the company where customers and prospects are starting to ask themselves "what is wrong with the company/product that the sales personal is changing all the time?".
A good company is built from all kinds of factors but at the end of the day it is important to realize that the company must have a good qualified sales force to make the sales, without it the company is sure to fail.