Sales Advocate Newsletter

Got a New Sales Strategy? Time to Run a Pilot Program

June 2001

New sales and marketing strategies are usually just that--projections that are, as yet, unproven in real-world conditions. Without any empirical evidence to back them, sales plans are merely theory. This makes the arduous task of establishing an effective sales program all the more challenging for technology firms, especially newcomers, which face difficult decisions concerning where to dedicate limited sales resources. Each new product, new category of solution, as-yet-untapped market segment, innovative sales plan and technology vision brings with it a number of questions that need answering. Questions such as:

Is this a revenue-generating product or just another cool technology?
What audience to address? Who are the decision makers and who are the influencers? What messages resonate with them?
Does the targeted vertical market(s) present a ripe opportunity?
Is it possible to sell the product over the phone? If not, how far should telebusiness take the leads before turning them over to field sales?
What constitutes a "qualified" lead and what are the best criteria for ranking leads?
What are the most effective media for communicating with prospective customers?
What mix of telebusiness and field sales will work best?

The most effective way to answer these questions is to run a sales pilot program. Sales pilots are short-term programs that use either temporary personnel or existing staff to tryout a sales strategy before committing significant resources to it. Sales pilots enable technology firms to test markets, sales strategies, product messaging and lead-flow processes--without the costly, time-consuming, resource-intensive undertaking of hiring and training a full-time sales staff.

Sales pilots quickly reveal the pros and the cons of a new sales strategy. When conducted properly, they generate as much value (if not more) in the form of information as they do in the way of leads and/or revenue. They are a very effective way for start-ups to quickly win those crucial first customers before fully building their organizations. They are also a great way for established companies to try out new products and markets without re-directing their existing sales staff.

Here are a few keys to making the most of your pilot program:

Communication is key. Feedback is one of the highest priorities for pilot programs. You'll need effective processes for capturing and sharing such information as which messages work and which don't, which audiences to address, which lead sources are productive and which sales tools do the trick.
Learn from mistakes. Don't expect to hit the nail on the head the first time. Use your pilot program to try a variety of approaches, sales tactics, market segments and lead sources. The most successful pilot programs are those that reveal the weaknesses in a sales strategy as well as the strengths.
Set program objectives. The better prepared you are going into a pilot program, the more you'll get out of it. Assign a dedicated program manager and identify your goals before starting the pilot. And don't expect instant success. Most sales pilots run for at least three months--longer for enterprise sales models. Conduct the program long enough to try several approaches and pinpoint the ones that work best.

Pilot programs can be an invaluable means of kick-starting your sales effort. But remember to utilize the services of experienced, professional staff. Isolating the strengths and weaknesses of your sales strategy hinges on your ability to eliminate poor salesmanship from the equation. Telesales representatives who have experience in pilot programs can quickly identify what's working and what's not. Whether you use in-house telesales reps or bring in a temporary staff, it's a good idea to employ the services of a sales consultant to oversee the project. Firms such as Phone Works offer the expertise to ensure that you make the most of your pilot programs.

This newsletter is provided as a complimentary service from Phone Works, Inc., the San Francisco Bay Area's leading sales consulting firm. Phone Works helps technology firms achieve rapid, sustainable revenue growth and implement successful, repeatable sales models. The industry's largest technology companies and newest start-ups turn to Phone Works for lead-generation, lead-qualification, telesales and sales-productivity programs.

You can reach Phone Works at 510.749.9073.