Thoughtful Thursdays - The Internal Sale

Whether you are a sole proprietor doing it all, or an employee in a large corporation with responsibility for a sales territory there there will come a time when your customers will ask for a product or service you are not currently supplying to the market place.

As a sales professional you want to keep your customer happy, and look forward to increasing your sales. Before you can offer the new product or service you will need the approval from the powers that be. This is the internal sale.

The internal sale is as important as the new sale to your customer. Before saying yes, you will want to know if it is going to be worth it, in other words, will it be profitable.

In the words of Peter F. Drucker: "There is nothing more useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all."

Here is a partial list of what to think about considering before approaching your business for a decision:

• What is the sales potential at the customer?
• Will sales transfer to your other customers?
• How much will it cost to develop?
• How long will it take to commercialize?
• Will there be external resources required?
• What are the expected margins?
• How long is the pay back?
  

Good selling,
Richard