Good salespeople given freedom to do their job

When William Rauch and Mark Dixon founded Teaming Associates Inc. four and a half years ago, they had very definite ideas about the role sales would play within their company.
“If you are paying someone to be a salesperson, then that person should sell,” said Rauch, president and owner.
Teaming Associates, based in Carlisle, is a telecommunications management company that handles all the telecommunication needs of its clients, said Jennifer Romer, vice president of business development. Romer is one of two salespeople within the 15-person organization.
A good salesperson, according to Rauch, must be able to sell the concept of the service that his company provides.
Dan Boarman, with Vigor Consulting Group in Mechanicsburg, agreed. Rather than selling a tangible product, he said, Teaming Associates sells convenience and provides lower administrative expenses. Vigor Consulting helps businesses with their sales and marketing techniques.
Rauch also said a good salesperson must be a self-starter, disciplined and able to recognize the types of clients who would be attracted to the services his company provides. Both Boarman and Rauch say a successful salesperson must be good with people.
Sales is the transfer of emotion from person to person, said Boarman. Therefore, he said, passion and a belief in what is being offered are essential qualities for any good salesperson.
Ira Wolfe, president of Success Performance Solutions in Leola, said a good salesperson is knowledgeable, skillful and motivated. If there is no balance among these three qualities, problems occur, he said.
Wolfe added that a good salesperson should also be competitive, assertive and resilient. His firm helps employers design benchmarks to determine desirable qualities and skills for jobs, including sales.
All three men agree that a good salesperson needs to be both articulate and a good listener. Boarman’s advice to salespeople is to find out what matters to the customer and then talk only about that.
Romer said her position in business development for Teaming Associates is one of true sales. She said she sees her role as educating clients about the services the company offers. Once she has made the sale, she explained, another co-worker who specializes in those services takes over the account. Romer goes on to find other clients for the company.
“Many companies have several classifications for salespersons. For example, business development specialists are the trailblazers for opening new business,” said Boarman, who sees tremendous value for companies in using what he calls sales specialists.
Rauch has seen the value of using sales specialists in his company. He said by enabling all of Teaming Associates’ employees to focus on what they do best, the company is able to focus on what it does best, which is providing the best service available at the lowest cost.
The tactic has worked for Rauch. His company has seen its revenue rise from $741,000 in 1999 to $4.4 million last year.