An Entrepreneur's Life

The personal blog of Michael Cage on Business, Marketing and what it means to choose An Entrepreneur's Life.

How are you training your non-salespeople salespeople?

by Michael Cage on July 29, 2004

in Uncategorized

Last week I watched a client flush nearly $40,000 in top-notch marketing work down the drain because a $9 an hour employee took the great leads being driven to the business and sabotaged them. In this case, she took motivated and excited incoming calls and shifted their state to negativity faster than a teenage boy on prom night. And not just once.

If you run a business with employees, every single one of ‘em who interacts with clients/customers/end-users needs to understand what is and what is not acceptable. We raise people defiant nowadays, so you have to explain why and what’s in it for them. Oh, and let’s face it… bribes work. (Last month a client with a retail location was having a great deal of trouble with employees unintentionally offending clients. The employees couldn’t be fired, so we put together a bonus pool which is reduced every time a customer is lost for a handful of reasons… being offended was one of ‘em. It’s worked well thus far.)

Employees who do not have contact with clients/customers/end-users need to understand the effect they can have on marketing. (Marketing = everything a business does to get and leverage a client relationship.) Do you have a tech in the backroom who is only allowed out for bathing and feeding? Insulated employees need to know what they do has a direct effect on the growth (or decline) of the business… so instead of playing level 91434 of Doom, (s)he should get the value of speed to a client relationship.

And so on…

It’s the old tale, the chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

Bookmark and Share

If you liked this post, you'll probably enjoy these, as well:

  1. Required Training for the Entrepreneur
  2. iPods @ Microsoft – Enemy Inside The Gates
  3. Marketing Truth: Being Good At What You Do Isn’t Good Enough
  4. Niche Marketing Rolls Again #2: Curves Fitness for Women & Personal Training
  5. Small Consulting Practices: An educated client is a more profitable client

  • I agree with you. And an employer should always be able to scrutinize each worker before hiring them. Talent in sales is not learned no matter how much or how long your train. Certain people just has that charm and the talent to convince people.

  • Anonymous

    Everybody Sells

    In a small business everybody is really part of the sales team, since most employees will have some interaction with customers. And yet, many small businesses overlook this in their training as shown at this entry at An Entrepreneurs Life….

    ——-

  • Anonymous

    From Techie to Business Owner




    I’ve figured out why I find sales so unpleasant.  Being a business owner


    requires a much different mind-set than that of a typical techie.


    I’ve been working as a sys admin and web developer for the past seven years.

    As such, I only have to sell ...

  • Anonymous

    It always amazes me how companies forget that customers spend get their brand message not from a company’s marketing collateral but from their phone calls to the company’s service/support numbers. One long wait in the queue or one interaction with a bored, disincentivized, overworked, underappreciated communicates the true brand of a company far more than a beautiful logo or ad campaign.


    I completely agree with Dorothea. You can’t expect people you disrespect, ignore, overwork, and easily discard to care much about your brand or your customers.

  • Anonymous

    Hm. Ya think maybe being a $9-an-hour employee has something to do with it? Just maybe?


    Why should your employees value you more than you do them?

  • Anonymous

    Training your Non-Salespeople Salespeople?

    An Entrepreneur’s Life: “If you run a business with employees, every single one of ‘em who interacts with clients/customers/end-users needs to understand what is and what is not acceptable. We raise people defiant nowadays, so you have to explain wh…

  • Anonymous

    Training your Non-Salespeople Salespeople?

    An Entrepreneur’s Life: “If you run a business with employees, every single one of ‘em who interacts with clients/customers/end-users needs to understand what is and what is not acceptable. We raise people defiant nowadays, so you have to explain wh…

  • Anonymous

    Everybody Sells

    In a small business everybody is really part of the sales team, since most employees will have some interaction with customers. And yet, many small businesses overlook this in their training as shown at this entry at An Entrepreneurs Life….

blog comments powered by Disqus

Previous post:

Next post: