Do Sales People Need a Masters in Business Appreciation?

As I have been working with companies through sales transformation projects, it seems that not only should the sales people go through sales methodology training, they may also want to go through additional skills training or refresher sessions. Today’s buyers are much more informed and the competition for the dollar is becoming fierce. So how can sales people differentiate themselves? – Business Acumen!!

What is Business Acumen?

Business acumen “is keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation” in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. -Financial Times

Selling in the past required sales people to be very knowledgeable about their own products, features and functionality. However, in today’s selling environment, this is not enough! The sales person needs to be able to dig deeper into the business problems of their prospects, as well as the market factors, to derive value.

When you are meeting with a client, can you assess the situation and ensure a good outcome? When preparing for a meeting with an important client do you look through their annual reports, recent news or LinkedIn profiles? Are you gathering business intelligence on your clients and their industry so that you can articulate how your product or service will be beneficial to THEM? Today I met with a client who said that 80% of the sales people he knows are “Lazy Professionals.” In other words, they are not preparing for their meetings. Being prepared will enable you to discuss value even if you are not able to follow your “sales script”.

Business Acumen Sales Tools

Researching companies and the people that you will be meeting with is important. There are some specific sales tools that I have used over the past few years that have helped me align the client’s business goals to the products I am selling. The top 3 sales tools that I have seen helpful in aligning business goals and objective are:

• Relationship Maps – Relationship maps are very similar to what we traditional call “organization charts.” However, attributes are be added to the people’s cards that include roles, preference, influence, etc… Additionally, they allow you to track the “relationship connection” between the people on your map.


• Strategy Maps – Strategy maps dig into the corporate goals, initiatives, and tactics of an organization.


• Sequence of Events (SoE) – This helps you to work backward in time from what the customer defines as “success”.

As I work through the buyer’s journey (how they will buy) with my clients, I build out these sales tools and collaborate with my “trusted advisors” to validate my understanding of the situation. While on the surface these sales tools can seem easy and straightforward, they can also be thought provoking and difficult to execute.

For example, strategy maps are a bit more of an advanced concept and will take a sales person out of their comfort zone. The strategy maps are meant to identify which goals and objectives are being driven from the top of the organization (and will receive funding). Goals within a strategy map should be measurable and time-bound. An example of such a goal could be “to increase revenue by 10% in 2015.” The reason why strategy maps pull sales people out of their comfort zones is because they are customer-centric, and they may not align to the products and services that you are selling (sales people do not want to face this reality).

Bottom Line

So, do sales people need and Masters in Business Appreciation? I would say yes! The benefits of understanding your clients and their business goals will not only lead to higher close rates, but also a more valuable relationship for both organizations (and you personally). Once you understand your client’s goals and objectives, ensure that you are measuring the successes you are both acheiving to complete your “value circle!”

Do Sales People Need a Masters in Business Appreciation?