Every Sales Office Needs A Skills Guru

I embed above the stock image chosen by London's The Times heralding the start of what I learn to be Skills Week, earlier in the year.

I guess it must be of an actual, working office space. Yet hardly seems credible. Certainly no self-respecting creative, busy or even Sales office.

I assert this on the basis of wall real estate decoration. Specifically, lack thereof. An absence that the realism of doing anything rams loudly up against.

Barely anything of visual import adorning the walls, desk dividers or even whiteboard screen-right.

But never mind, as there's a glimmer of indoor plant life.

What this stock pic stirred in me, was the difference between how people say they work, and the way they really do.

With specific reference to more corporate sized endeavours. The type which may well consider such a peek into the roughly eight seats above, as a mere corner view onto one of their salesfloors.

"... of course we're big on skills."

Whilst I've encountered many a fabulous salesperson with encyclopaedic topic knowledge, only a couple of times in the countless sales teams I've been privy to have I come across any that could genuinely be termed a 'skills guru', as in this initiative's sense of the word.

This is not some wunder-closer others gravitate towards for advice. Nor the seen-it-all mega-experienced boss. Nor a second-in-command whose main role is to keep reporting systems on track.

Although such substitute approach might have a place sometimes, on occasion.

The point is that without explicit pushing of the strive for skillset growth, it will ultimately prove elusive.

You need someone who knows what they're talking about. With deep interest in all that surrounds 'selling'. The ability to consciously move around the whole sales effort.

Find what works. Try out other ideas. Help everyone pick up, persevere with and progress each skill.

These may be core, micro, or brand new zeitgeist skills.

But a plan must tacitly underpin your drive to advance.

The most common placement is for the latter of the trio listed above. Usually adapting a Sales Ops role. To encompass regular, sustained, skill raising focus. Note though that such personnel are prone to get sidetracked. By all manner of systems, liaisons and secondments.

Yet if you can set forth then maintain the discipline, the rewards will flow far in excess of your supposed cost centre spreadsheet cell figure.

In the case of the photo above, materials that introduce, reinforce and promote success on this front can be simply, cheaply, readily made. So that wasted wall space can proudly pin them up.

Even if piecemeal to start, you can fashion a Sales 'skills guru' program that has a fighting chance of making a difference.

As but one tip to begin with - which can translate into the more emerging sales team sizes too - I realised very early on that a great way to get cracking is to anchor very much on a live, hot, airtime devouring drive. Whether the classic new product, new market or realigned selling push. It's amazing where gathering, co-ordinating and spreading such seeds can take you.