039 The One That Will Change Your Sales Department

Today on the show we welcome Justin Roff-Marsh, Founder of Ballistix and author of The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function. When was the last time you thought about sales? About how it is managed and who does what job? And whether the method you're using is really the best method? As water treater's, our job is to go out there and sell what it is that we do. But if you really look at the way we do sales and the systems in which we do sales, it hasn't changed all that much since the dawn of time! Yet everything else has... Justin is someone who has re-designed the sales process by taking a whole new approach to the way in which companies sell. In his book, he delves deep into the world of sales functions; looking at how and why we've been approaching sales in the same way for so long and how you can break these models a part and improve them to benefit of your own sales practice today. In this episode, we chat to Justin about the key concepts in his book, about some of the things we take for granted in sales and what we can do better in this field.   Timestamps: The problem with the traditional sales model [05:50] Why there is a more efficient way to operate sales [07:50] Removing sales people from customer service and prospecting [10:20] Find out what an ideal sales department looks like to Justin [11:23] Hear Justin's advice on how to sell to the right people [13:00] Measuring customer service within this new sales philosophy [19:54] The actions Justin would like people to take after reading his book [24:45] Why your salespeople need to be either independent or part of a team [28:10] Find out how Justin came up with the concept for his book [31:31] How Justin discovered that salespeople don't like money as much as he thought [33:40] The outcome from companies who have implemented the new sales process [35:25] Find out the last three books that Justin has read [38:00] Leathermans, test-kits and copper: Questions from the listeners [42:30]   Quotes:  "The first thing that we should take away from sales people is customer service." - Justin Roff-Marsh  "The approach that we are advocating is absolutely chalk and cheese compared to standard practice." - Justin Roff-Marsh   Connect with Justin Roff-Marsh: Website: justinroffmarsh.com Twitter: @justinroffmarsh LinkedIn: in/justinroffmarsh   Links Mentioned: Ballistix Test Kit Light   Books Mentioned: The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley The American Kingpin by Nick Bilton