Team

Sales is the forging of a human connection - you need a talented team that is truly COMMITTED TO SALES.

Team

Commit To Sales Overview

We intentionally use the the word ‘SALES’ for these reasons:

  • As a contrast to ‘Marketing’

    So much of traditional fundraising is cultivation, donor acquisition, stewardship, or awareness.  But if you’re doing ‘that event’ to BUILD relationships then it begs the question, what are you doing to MAXIMIZE relationships?
  • To emphasize Sales as a ‘World of Knowledge’

    “You’re in sales, get over it!” – Tom Suddes

    Once we accept, embrace and SEEK Sales it opens a world of professional development, learning, and systems.

  • To emphasize the importance of a professional, face-to-face presentation!

    A commitment to sales requires a process, a presentation, follow up and much more!

If you’re someone that says, “Sales is not for me!” here is a definition we hope will entice you to stick around:

“Sales is not a business transaction. It is first and foremost the forging of the human connection.”  – Bob Burg

If an organization were TRULY COMMITTED TO SALES we would see these key attributes:

  • (Focus on) PROSPECTS.

    Prospects. Drive. Everything.  


    There would be no silos. We wouldn’t organize according to events, planned giving, annual fund – We would organize around prospects! (Think: Prospect portfolios and assigned Relationship Managers.)

    97/3!!! 97% of the funds come from 3% of your prospects! We would FOCUS on the 3%!

    Salespeople would be OUT OF THE OFFICE (visiting with prospects).
  • PROCESS!  

    The team would commit to a SALES PROCESS. That process would focus on prospect strategy and making visits and asks. It would not be designed around events, direct mail, and shotgunning grant applications.
  • TEAM!

    The team would use TEAM SELLING. Adding to the previous points (about PROSPECTS and PROCESS) the team would be structured around helping Salespeople make visits and asks.
  • MATH!

    The team would KNOW THE MATH. The team
     would have goals, plans, and metrics.
  • ATTITUDE!

    And perhaps the most important attribute is attitude. You can coach around everything else but you can’t coach a bad attitude. There is no room for Eeyore on the Sales Team.