Yes, You Are in Sales!

Have you taken a global picture of your company lately?

First, get a camera. Then possibly, you should rent a helicopter and fly over your office to view the picture you just took.

Have you noticed everything that is in the picture? The warehouse, the retail operation, the billing department, the salespeople — all are part of the big picture, that is, the big sales picture.

I am just getting ready for one more week of listening to people tell me, “Well, I’m not in sales, I’m in operations;” “I’m not in sales, I do set-ups;” “I’m not in sales, I just take the orders;” “I’m not in sales, I am the billing manager.”

Have I Been in a Cave?

Hold on! Am I missing something? What’s happening? Have I been away from the office too long? Do I need to go back on my medication since I must have absolutely lost touch with the real world?

For some strange and bewildering reason, I thought we were all in this together, but what do I know? I thought each and every one of us was hired to impact the revenues of our company in some way, deal with the consumer and meet the needs of the patient.

We were employed to be a part of the selling process. And although for some it might be a minor part of our work, the impact often can be major. (Hey, those who know me well and have heard me speak know already it does not take much to get me excited or, more aptly phrased, “passionate” about what I believe to be good for your business.)

The person in your company who sees himself as being outside of the sales operation may need a personal invitation to join the group. This “outsider” is costing us all money and energy and, in this day and time, we do not have much of either to waste.

Have we all become specialists in our field without regard for what puzzle piece we hold for the success of the business?

Considering the fact that it takes from five to seven people to get a piece of equipment from your office to the patient’s home, it is looking to me like you may be more a part of the company organization than you realize.

One flaw in the operation, one mistake in a promise made to the customer, one statement sent to the wrong person, one price quoted incorrectly or one flip comment (heck, I have made a few of those in my day) can set off a revenue downturn like none you’ve ever seen.

So, are you in sales? Yes, you most definitely are. And I’m happy to be the first to set you free for the New Year.

All of us in the office are in sales. Think before you speak, watch what you say when customers can hear you and consider not just the short-term but also the long-term impact of your interactions with the customer — any customer.

From billing managers to operations directors, we are all in sales. There are no jobs in the company that ultimately do not affect the consumer. Even the attitude of the human resource manager toward the staff ultimately can reach the customer.

Put on Your Sales Suit Now

If you have ever considered sharing any of my messages with other staff members but have not done so, now is the time. Share this article with the person at the desk next to yours, and make sure it reaches everyone in the office, especially anyone sitting behind those strange enclosures.

We are all starting a new year, and we need to be appropriately suited up and present on the ball field if we are going to play the game. Treat the customer as if this were your own Super Bowl. You don’t want to lose the game knowing how long it took and how hard you worked to get there.

Make sure every single person in your company has read this message. Frame it for the office and commit the concept to memory:

YES, YOU ARE IN SALES.

And yes, there is a Santa Claus. But unless you — and every single one of your employees — believe you are part of your company’s sales team, then there might not be a Santa Claus for you next year, and that would be unfortunate for all of us.

Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. He can be reached at www.DynamicSeminars.com or by phone at 954/435-8182.