By Larry Janis, Managing Partner, Integrated Search Solutions Group
In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman struggled to sell in a market which suddenly demanded more than charisma to close a deal. Like Willy, today’s BPO salespeople are experiencing a changing environment which requires a more substantive skill set is in order to be successful.
The pressure for a deeper skill set comes from both the salesperson’s employer and his clients. The employer (provider) has expanded the salesperson’s scope of responsibilities well beyond meeting monetary quotas, and now holds them accountable for decisions that will have a major impact on key results. Salespeople must be able to interpret strategic direction and vision, and set policies and goals, requiring significant long-term business planning and forecasting. On a deal pursuit, they are typically managing large, complex projects as well as managing a very large pyramid of people. Additionally, they are accountable for the daily delivery of high quality services to ensure contractual obligations are met in an outsourced environment. They are required to maintain excellent working relationships with their clients as well as team members in order to motivate a workforce to deliver high-quality client service. Finally, they maintain programs of continuous process improvements to ensure ongoing client satisfaction and to improve value for their clients. Continue reading →
