What it is about is the needs of buyers when making a major purchase decision. This is not about product attributes, customer service or sales support – although data will probably be uncovered that will lead to improvement opportunities in these and other areas. Six Sigma can have a direct impact on sales results if a company is disciplined in keeping the focus on what customers value in the buying process. Focus on What Customers Value in the Buying Process An end point: The ongoing strong relationship, where the client recognizes and wants the value the salesperson brings to the relationship.Īll of a sudden there is a defined process that matters to the sales force – because great relationships win business.A mid-point: Getting to know each other, learning what the client values and delivering that value.Six Sigma can provide a framework for improving the quality of relationships between salespeople and customers.

They also expect the sales team to help them achieve their targets for productivity, cost savings and increased customer service. The buying team looks for support in interpreting the massive amount of data that factor into each buying decision. Shipp pointed out that salespeople today work with multiple buyers with complex needs. “That takes a lot more than lunch and a great personality,” he noted. What matters is how customers want to buy and what they want from our salespeople.”Īccording to Keith Shipp, senior vice president for North American sales at GE Modular Space, salespeople today need to have strong business acumen and a commitment to the customer that extends beyond closing the deal.

“We often lose sight of the customer when we start thinking about processes and goals. One of Moreland’s biggest challenges is maintaining an external focus. Salespeople with daily, weekly and monthly targets quickly lose interest – they do not see the connection between process maps and winning customers.Ĭhris Moreland, global commercial excellence leader at GE Equipment Services, has led numerous Six Sigma projects in sales.

The time between analyzing the current state, defining requirements and improving the process can be months or even years. When companies invest in sales force effectiveness, they often start with large scale projects like sales automation or customer relationship management (CRM). ‘Outside-In’ Thinking: Sales Start with the Customer Great relationships are the key to increasing sales. In sales, Six Sigma can be used to uncover the best ways to build, maintain and grow relationships with key customers. That is because the starting point for increasing sales – and growing the company’s business – is not the salespeople, it is the customers. This approach will help transform the sales process, but it may not improve sales results. When the vice president for sales calls a Black Belt in to talk about sales, the natural inclination for the Six Sigma practitioner is to look for the “pain points” and work with a team to define the problem and build a solution.

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