Stop relying on genius to fill your sales team. In my work with growth companies, I am constantly surprised by how much reliance is placed on what I call the rainmaker-salesperson. The rainmaker-salesperson is one with the ability to "figure it out" and drive sales. Rainmaker-salespeople are those who can sell the proverbial ice to the proverbial Eskimo.
There are several problems with the rainmaker-salesperson approach.
- It rarely works.
- It is rarely profitable – rainmaker-salespeople eat up a lot of gross margin.
- It is extraordinarily difficult to find rainmaker-salespeople, and when you find them, it is equally difficult to keep them.
- Your growth is limited when you rely on rainmaker-salespeople – they become the tail that wags the dog.
Look at companies that have sustained growth through good economies and bad. You’ll find that, while their strategies and products are different, they all have a documented sales process that allows the mortal-salesperson to excel. All of their salespeople implement the same sales process. This makes hiring, training, and, if necessary, replacing salespeople easier.
In my next post, I’ll address the stated obstacles to implementing such a process.