Thanks,

If you want to benchmark organizations that incorporate change management into their sales development and strategies, I would look at services focused organizations (ie systems integrators, etc.). Many of these organizations explicitly incorporate change management into their implementation process. Some of the processes and tools “slip” into the selling process.

Also, organizations that embrace a strong Value Based approach to their selling process (real not lip service), actually have to incorporate change management into their business justification, though few think about it explicitly. Many organizations do it unconsciously, my argument is that we need to start explicitly incorporating this into their sales strategies and processes.

Thanks for the very thoughtful comment. If you would like to discuss how you can start incorporating these approaches into your organization, I’d be delighted to chat. Keep visiting, your comments are great!

As with all sales its about solving the customers business problem and part of that is helping them with the changes required to buy and deploy your offering.

I wonder if there are any organizations that have embraced this idea and what their results are.

Most sales people fail to recognize that we are asking them to change and fail to understand people’s natural resistance to change. They don’t know how to deal with these issues and help their customers recognize that they need to change and to embrace the process of change. Sales people would be much more effective if they learned how to do this.

Thanks

Ian

They need strong motivation or very convincing education that, in this fast changing milieu, if they fail to keep pace with the change they will be lost. We have to make them understand that it is a sad misconception that standing still they will retain their place, that even if they don’t move an inch backward, sooner or later, they will find themselves behind everyone as all others would have run past them. Change is not longer a choice; it is a compulsion

At the same time, I think we don’t equip sales people — in traditional training — to understand how difficult it is for people and organizations to change and how to overcome that resistance. We would increase our success tremendously if we provide that leadership to our customers.

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Keep visiting and commenting. These discussions are the most valuable part of the blog!

I have always looked as my role in the sales process as being an agent of change and felt that it was my responsibility to educate everyone on the client side regarding the necessities and benefits of change.

As a side note, it has also been a means by which I have evaluated the possibilities of success and timelines to close in complex sales environments where loosing to a “no decision” was a distinct possibility. Often, overcoming resistance to change hinges on demonstrating to decision makers and influencers that the pain of change is less than the pain of continuing current methods of operation. Educating the client is key to success.

Thank you!