by Tony S. Horwath Many companies rely on their sales force to generate new revenue. But what do you do when the sales force just isn't meeting your objectives? And how do you start a new sales force? Selling is a profession. It is a combination of knowledge, methodology, process, and people. Particularly within the past 20 years, relationship selling has become very important. But it takes a company to win business, not just a sales executive. If you think you can just walk into a customer's office, lay down your business card, and win a job, you're mistaken. Those who view sales as a profession and work on selling through a process are the successful sales professionals. But even successful sales professionals need training and mentoring. In addition, sales professionals need to understand the potential client and their needs, not just the product or service being offered. The salesperson needs to be able to develop a business case and show clients how they will receive a favorable return on their investment.

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If your sales force is broken, or if you need to develop a new sales engine, the market offers alternative avenues for sales distribution. Manufacturers' representatives and telesales companies are two of these alternatives. They may work beautifully for product-driven organizations that are selling commodities.

Selling products is different from selling intangible services, however. It's difficult to sell services over the phone and even more difficult if you do not have a direct dedicated sales force. This is particularly true in ever-changing industries such as information technology.

Many of these companies ride the wave of IT investment. Both the long-standing and the emerging Internet and information technology companies need a flexible sales force that can be developed quickly, since lost time is lost revenue. The marketplace is growing, and the time to strike is now. How quickly can a company build a sales force? This is where business process outsourcing (BPO) has evolved into another choice over the past three years.

Sales BPO is a particularly vital option for small companies, which don't have the background or process knowledge to start a sales force, or for companies in transition, which can benefit from outsourcing sales as a cost-effective way to get to market more quickly.

So, what do you look for in a sales BPO? First, be sure the company understands your market and has experience in the industry. Doing this homework up front will save you money and the many headaches that can come if you hire the wrong company or develop the program internally but can't manage it effectively.

A sales process can drive new business to greater heights and verify that existing customers are satisfied. Speed and efficiency do not always go hand in hand. A process identifies client profiles and effectively reviews opportunities so you work smarter, not harder.

Industry analysts are estimating that the world wide BPO market will steadily increase over the next 4 years reaching nearly $700B in 2008. Non-U.S. based companies are always looking to enter the U.S. market, but the cost of building a presence is prohibitive. Because of this, foreign companies typically build an American sales force but manage it from abroad. All this long-distance management does is create an island of people without hands-on management and direction. For companies in this situation, outsourcing the sales function to a U.S.-based company proves to be a cost-effective solution.

So, whether you're a new company or just need to move in a new direction or new geography--or if you need to fix a broken engine--think about what makes salespeople successful.

Think about process, knowledge, and methodologies. Think about getting the right people in the right place at the right time. Selling services takes skill, and finding true sales professionals who have had success takes recruiting experience and time. Think about outsourcing your sales and sales management function so you can concentrate on the big picture.

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About Sales Focus Inc. Sales Focus Inc. is a consulting, training and outsourcing company that focuses strictly on sales. We help our clients during these difficult times to take business away from the competition. In down economic times, focused companies will not only survive, but also thrive! We offer cost containment and profit enhancement solutions. Profit enhancement is a different mindset than cost cutting. Cost cutting means doing less of something; profit enhancement implies doing more of something that will boost the bottom line. We represent the concept of focused profit enhancement solutions.

Sales Focus is driven towards a single goal: "Generating Immediate Revenue for our Clients!" Whether it's implementing our S.O.L.D. Methodology, Developing Specialized Training Programs or Launching an Outsourced Sales Force, we remain focused on the goal of TACTICALLY GENERATING RAPID REVENUE.

For more Information or to see if we are a good fit with your company, contact us directly, 866.840.8305 or 410.442.5600, send us an email at info@SalesFocusInc.com or visit our web site: www.SalesFocusInc.com. Request a free white paper while calling us or visiting our website.

Sales Focus Inc. 3210 Florence Road, Suite B Woodbine, Maryland 21797 P. 410.442.5600 F. 410.442.5102 Toll Free: 866.840.8305 URL: www.SalesFocusInc.com