Cross training

Back in the day I used to cycle long distance road rides It took regular training and dedication and I had to develop a different mindset (for me, getting bored after a few hours took me a while to find a way through!). If you've ever undertaken physical training for one particular activity you may well have realised that when you varied your workouts to include, say, jumping jacks rather than pedals, you tired quickly and frankly weren't very good at the jumping jack part. So, you practice, incorporate other training and improve. By cross training using different muscle groups you become faster, gain more stamina and up your game.

It's no different in business. By cross training amongst different sections or departments you're more likely to foster a better understanding of supporting roles, reduce any resentment and ensure everyone knows their role in reaching the company's goals and how they adhere to the mission and core values of the business. Your employees are your biggest asset, train them, nurture them and listen to them.

Perhaps cross training in sales and marketing is a priority in periods of growth. The more understanding your departments have of what sales and marketing mean to the bigger picture, the more they can support the revenue driving efforts in whatever way they are able. And vice-versa, if your sales and marketing team know what's involved in the delivery of the service or product, they'll not overpromise or get frustrated.

Add to this the positive effect of a fresh look at the processes from a supporting role you may just find yourself with new ideas on how to streamline the sales, ways to cut costs or suggestions for new sales points or cross selling. Equally, the teams not directly involved in selling and marketing can definitely use training in the art of persuasion, how to influence others, listen effectively and how to represent the company in a positive manner to anyone they deal with.

Everyone is in sales and marketing to some extent.

So, how do you do this?

Firstly it makes sense to look at those team members that are directly linked to your sales and marketing department, such as accounts and sales administration. They have direct contact with those hard-won clients and even a slight change in tone can alter the client's perception of your company.

Maybe I should give you an example. I recently booked some printing work in with a local supplier that I had met at a networking event. Their rep at the event was charming, genuine and gave me confidence in their products so I gave them a go. It was only some business cards but I had more to be done later, once I'd tried them out.

Once I'd placed the order with him, he duly thanked me, then I got an invoice from the accounts department. There was just the invoice, sent by email. No accompanying text, no 'thank you' on the invoice itself. Then I had a flurry of emails with the graphics team about the artwork and their tone was practical and to the point. When I picked up the order the front desk guy picked a note off the top of the package and told me that next time I should add more bleed to the artwork as it made it hard for them to cut the cards.

I was happy with the cards but left feeling like I'd been told off. I had dealt with 4 different people each with different ways of dealing with me and it has not encouraged any loyalty on my part.

I have several suggestions to improve this particular example - but perhaps you've already spotted them?

1. The sales rep could have told me the next steps and the people involved in each so I was aware of the process (a template could be used).
2. The sales rep could have also introduced me to the accounts person and the graphics team
3. The accounts email was very unfriendly, it doesn't take much to add text to an email to thank someone for their business (use templates, guys!).
4. The accounts email missed an opportunity to up and cross sell to me, perhaps with a loyalty discount or even basic info about similar products I might need (letterheads, banners, postcards etc)
5. The graphics team sent more emails than were needed because they checked one thing, then found another problem and didn't do it all at once which was a bit annoying
6. The graphics team didn't use friendly, genuine and trustworthy tones in their emails to me to follow the image the sales rep had built up
7. The graphics team could also use these emails to cross or upsell, particularly when the artwork was ready
8. I was told about the 'bleed' area only after they'd been printed and felt 'told off'. This could have been mentioned by the graphics team in one of their emails and easily sorted out.
9. The tone of the front desk guy was not at all friendly. There was no 'thank you' and the opportunity to ask me, in person, if I would need anything else and show any of their other products.
10. There was no thank you email from the sales rep after the business to round off the cycle and again, upsell or cross sell, or even ask for a referral or feedback.

Now, this looks like a big old list of moans. And it was only some business cards, not the biggest order. I wasn't unhappy, but I can't turn off the No Fluff side of me that sees potential for improvements to grow business. I just can't help it so please don't judge!  They missed so many opportunities, and they are all really very quick 'wins'. Use of templates, a simple refining of the process, a bit of training from the sales rep, a bit of buy-in from the graphics, accounts and front desk on how to give clients the right impression and they will have secured more business. The sales rep probably has no idea that this is going on and whoever is managing the whole office or company is losing money.

No Fluff offers this type of training, but you can probably look at the basics yourselves - maybe even try a mystery shop (I do this for some clients and its very revealing and super constructive).

If you don't cross train your teams, you can't expect the sales to grow. Invest in them, whether its a solid training day or some internal tweaks - but staff that are listened to, that know their role in the company's growth perform better. Fact.