Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with Security Sam, an appointment during which he'll tell me how much the security cameras and door buzzer system my condo association want are going to cost. Seeing as two other security companies have failed to submit a proposal after similar meetings, this appointment should be the ultimate one-call close.
But Security Sam's sales manager got in the way.
Security Sam's sales manager made Security Sam contact his customer (me) to "clarify" that Security Sam is visiting a multi-family dwelling and not a single family home, a fact easily learned from a quick Zillow search. Why? Because single-family homes are serviced by a different sales team and Security Sam's sales manager wants to be Security Safe.
By second guessing Security Sam, his sales manager added an unnecessary layer of bullshit into a sales process that should be cut and dry. Security Sam, the security expert, should hear my needs, propose a solution, cash my check, and collect his commisssion. Instead, he has TWO sales managers worried that he might step outside of his contractual role and they are bothering the customer BEFORE the first meeting.
When I managed the business development process for a growing low eight-digit legal practice, I dealt with similar bullshit among the law firm partners, which only impaired my ability to service the legal needs of financial services companies nationwide. Too often, our clients were involved in conversations about how the origination credits for their bills would be divided, conversations which I often likened as having kids in the courtroom while their parents argued over their custody.
Nobody wins when you second guess Security Sam. Don't undermine your sales process with internal drama, and empower your team to always keep your customers' needs as Job No. 1. Your top line revenue will soon reflect your investment in your customers.