A concise article in the Jan/Feb 2007
issue of 1to1
Magazine presents the product life
cycle as the
impetus for adjusting sales force structure
and
processes.
It suggests the need for behavioral shifts by
sales
reps and their managers at each stage of
the lifecycle
stages.
Continuously scan the horizon to detect
shifts in your
lifecycle so that you can maintain a high
impact sales
team with the right skills, processes, tools
and talent.
During introduction balance staff
size with an appropriate mix of channel
partners to create awareness and
generate rapid acceptance. Hire now and
maintain a larger sales force in order to
fully exploit the upcoming growth stage
compared to companies that add staff only
as revenues increase.
In the growth stage sales are
effective
business development managers when
equipped
with the right expertise for recruiting new
accounts.
During maturity optimize
resources. Hire general-purpose sales
reps to focus on high profit customers and
allow inside sales people to retain existing
customers.
In the decline stage a smaller
sales staff
protects critical relationships and focuses
on key
accounts by nurturing repeat business and
renewals
through ongoing support and finds new
applications
through horizontal and vertical positioning.
Partners
are responsible for STCs (second tier
customers).