The Many Faces Of Sales

There are many different ways simple terms can be viewed, interpreted [and misinterpreted] in business. ‘Sales’ is one such term…there are many faces to sales and it's critical that everyone involved in the conversation and the process understands which version you are referring to avoid miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Clear communication is critical at every level of business, both internally and externally, and ensures that everyone understands what is being discussed accurately and quickly.

For this reason, it's important to think about the meaning behind simple terms like “Sales” and ensure that everyone involved in the conversation is on the same page. when you are talking about it or what you are looking to achieve from it.?

When you think about the term? ‘sales’ there are numerous ways it can be defined and viewed which relate to the context in which it is being used.?

In our experience the most common ones are...

1. Sales As An Accountancy Term.

The accounting view on a P&L is that? “sales” is a line item listed down the page that contributes to the revenue line.? Areas like interest, sale of assets etc. combined with sales also contribute to your revenue lines.?

Then there's…

2. Getting A ‘Sale’

Another description of “getting a sale” is a result, and presents the opportunity to raise an invoice to another party as consideration of the goods or services you provide or supply.?

This can be one-off or ongoing. While this invoice appears on their accounting lines, a range of companies often don’t refer to something as a sale if it becomes a subscription or similar and doesn’t involve a decision to be made by the end client each billing cycle.?

It has then become an invoicing task and not a sales related one.

3. Sales As A Process

However many people in business use the term sale or sales to describe the series of actions or functions that they go through to get someone to agree to buy their product or service.

They use this term often broadly to describe a department, a group, or a person or actions. (get on a sales call, get sales to follow up leads, how do we achieve or predict the sales budget, etc.)

4. Sales In Relation to Costs

Those responsible for the net revenue position often also think of Sales as 'cost-related' terms like the cost of sale, net client value, return per $ invested, and many more that are important to introduce into the conversation.

5. The Perception of Sales

The ‘old school’ perception of what a salesperson is and how someone in sales acts… AKA pushy, sleazy…you get the idea. ?Typically this is the view someone who is not in sales is trying to avoid.?

If you are communicating with an individual who may think this way…[fosters the belief that this is an accurate representation of a sales person], then presenting sales as a process can be a better way to talk about sales. This is the way most modern sales professionals operate and approach this misconception.?

Clarity Is Critical

So as you can see how the term ‘sales’ is used differs depending on the context. Considering the different ways people view and use the term and understanding how that can impact and influences their actions makes for clearer communication across the board. Being clear In how you are referring to something helps keep expectations in line and ensures everyone is on the same page, working towards the same outcome… which should be your ultimate goal. ?

Sales and how it is perceived and discussed is one of the many functions that contribute to your revenue engine…the engine that drives your revenue growth.

Want to know more about building a robust revenue engine for your business?

Drop me a line…

#Sales #RevenueReimagined #Revenue? #B2BSales? #BusinessGrowth