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Last updated on 2024年8月8日

Your outside sales team clashes with finance priorities. How do you navigate conflicting agendas?

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Navigating the complexities of business operations often means aligning different departments with divergent goals. When your outside sales team, driven by the pursuit of growth and customer acquisition, clashes with the finance department's focus on cost control and budget adherence, tensions can arise. Understanding how to reconcile these conflicting agendas is crucial for maintaining a harmonious and productive workplace.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA

1 Understand Goals

To effectively navigate the conflicting agendas of outside sales and finance, you must first thoroughly understand the goals and motivations of each department. Your sales team is primarily focused on closing deals and expanding market reach, which often involves spending on travel, client entertainment, and promotional materials. On the other hand, the finance team is tasked with managing budgets, controlling expenses, and ensuring the company's financial health. By recognizing these core objectives, you can begin to find common ground and work towards solutions that respect both perspectives.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA
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Start by identifying the key objectives of both teams. For the sales team, this might include increasing revenue and expanding the client base. For the finance team, goals could focus on budget adherence, profitability, and reducing risk. Arrange meetings where each team can present and clarify their goals to foster mutual understanding.

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2 Open Dialogue

Open dialogue is essential when resolving conflicts between your outside sales team and finance. Encourage regular communication where both teams can express their concerns and expectations. This can be facilitated through joint meetings or collaborative platforms where sales can explain the necessity of certain expenditures for achieving their targets, while finance can outline the fiscal constraints and the importance of cost-efficiency for the company's sustainability. Mutual understanding is key, and it is through these discussions that compromises and innovative solutions can emerge.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA
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Create an environment where both teams feel comfortable sharing their perspectives. Regular meetings or brainstorming sessions can help facilitate open communication. Encourage team members to express their concerns and priorities without judgment, leading to greater empathy and understanding.

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3 Align Incentives

One effective strategy to reduce friction between sales and finance is to align their incentives. Consider implementing a rewards system that acknowledges the achievement of sales targets while also rewarding cost-effective strategies. For example, bonuses could be tied not just to sales volume but also to the efficient use of resources. This encourages the sales team to be more mindful of expenses without impeding their sales efforts, and it also reassures the finance team that cost-saving measures are being taken seriously.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA
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Find common ground between both teams' goals. For example, you can design incentive programs that reward sales for hitting targets while also ensuring profitability metrics are met from the finance side. This alignment will encourage collaboration and create motivation to work towards shared objectives.

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4 Compromise Solutions

Finding compromise solutions is crucial when your outside sales team's activities conflict with finance priorities. It could mean setting flexible budgets that allow for variance within certain limits or agreeing on a trial period for new sales strategies with defined financial boundaries. By working together to create solutions that accommodate the needs of both departments, you foster a collaborative environment where both sales growth and financial stability are valued and pursued with equal vigor.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA
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Be prepared to develop solutions that may require both sides to make concessions. For instance, if the sales team wants to push for a discount to close a deal, perhaps they can agree to work within certain financial parameters that finance finds acceptable. Consider setting limits on discounts that protect profit margins while allowing sales to remain competitive.

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5 Educate Teams

Education plays a vital role in bridging the gap between sales and finance. By providing your sales team with basic financial training, they can better understand the impact of their spending on the company's bottom line. Similarly, educating your finance team about the sales process and the competitive landscape can help them appreciate the necessity of certain expenditures. When both teams are knowledgeable about each other's roles and challenges, they are more likely to collaborate effectively.

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Maroon Isaac Bunjira

Senior Sales Representative at Johnson Tiles/Norcros SA
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Conduct workshops or training sessions to inform both teams about each other's processes, challenges, and priorities. This shared knowledge will help build respect and appreciation for each team's role. Understanding the financial implications of sales strategies, and vice versa, can foster a more cooperative atmosphere.

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Jerome Dees Jr.

Entrepreneur & Community Activist
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As leaders, it is our goal to show the organization how all of the parts come together to complete the overall puzzle. I’ve personally had a few instances where my sales team clashed with the finance team over collections and past due invoices. Knowing why behind the way and offering explanations for policies and procedures helped a good deal. We just need to remember that we are all people trying our best to get through the day.

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6 Monitor Progress

Lastly, it is important to monitor progress after implementing strategies to align your outside sales and finance teams. Regular check-ins allow for adjustments to be made as needed and for successes to be celebrated. This continual oversight helps ensure that both departments are moving forward together, with a clear understanding of how their actions affect each other and the company as a whole. It's a dynamic process that requires ongoing attention but can lead to a more cohesive and successful organization.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Charbel Abou-Jawde

International Business Development Consultant
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By setting out specific actions, milestones, and timelines, we can stay on track and understand the steps and time required to reach a successful outcome.?

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Your outside sales team clashes with finance priorities. How do you navigate conflicting agendas?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Understand Goals

2 Open Dialogue

3 Align Incentives

4 Compromise Solutions

5 Educate Teams

6 Monitor Progress

7 Here’s what else to consider

Outside Sales

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Your outside sales team clashes with finance priorities. How do you navigate conflicting agendas?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Understand Goals

2 Open Dialogue

3 Align Incentives

4 Compromise Solutions

5 Educate Teams

6 Monitor Progress

7 Here’s what else to consider

Outside Sales

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