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In the past, competition in the technical world was much simpler than it is today. There were the high end products and then there was everything else.
The best quality brands managed to easily hold their position at the top, making the job of sales-focused technical engineers all the easier. All that was required was to push the brand alone and the popularity of that brand would speak for itself.
Today, the world of technical sales has changed significantly. Large corporations and their products are only a small fraction of what is being sold on the market. Small studios and companies are filling in the gaps, coming up with alternatives that are often just as high quality as their competitors.
Not only that but customers are now able to quickly search out comparative information, leave widely read reviews and choose from many affordable options from around the globe. The world has become bigger for the average consumer and the job of the technical engineer who is responsible for sales conversion has become more complicated along with it.
Because of this shift, the process of which we approach technical sales has to adapt. That is what Change Management is all about, formally introducing a different angle and focus.
Where we used to rely on engineers to push sales thanks to their thorough understanding of the product itself – in particular, the way it functions – we can now delegate that task to others. Sales managers have become the real movers and shakers. They are responsible for presenting, explaining, and making a product more accessible to a consumer base accustomed to having full control over their purchasing decisions.
To do this, we have to change the behaviour of everyone involved in the sales process. Organisational adaptations have to be made on every level, beginning with the sales managers themselves. It is crucial that they understand the way their job has become more person-oriented and less technical than it used to be. They are not trying to impress with their knowledge but to make the product understood as a commodity to the layman.
Unfortunately, such changes to the status quo are not always so quickly adopted. You have to win over you staff by convincing them of the benefits to the new system. Old habits die hard, as they say. Once you have shown your sales managers the value of adapting the way technical products are sold, you will begin to see an immediate improvement in your results.
As these changes come into effect, you will be in the final stage. Viewing the behaviour of your sales managers and customers both, you can begin to tweak and fine-tune your strategy. You may find that certain tactics are less successful than you had hoped. This is the real essence of Change Management... change. You will make adjustments as you go, coming up with a solid approach to technical product sales and marketing.
In his presentation at the Chemical Sales and Marketing Toolbox in Berlin on 3 and 4 June 2014, Markus Hartung will teach you that you should not be afraid of failures in the process; they are merely a step along the way.
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