It acknowledges the full commercial ‘system’ of not just your business, but also the ‘system’ your business operates within. It clarifies the inputs, outputs, nodes, feedback loops, and explores how everyone in the business can contribute to adding value to customers and helping customers to make valuable buying decisions, on repeat. It’s vital to get it right before training engineers to sell in a faulty system.
Why this is harder than it looks
- Engineering businesses assume their technical reputation will automatically translate into commercial success. The fact is, being known as technically excellent and being commercially effective are completely different capabilities that require different approaches.
- Many people who see a ‘sales’ problem think it’s just a people-performance issue that can be solved with training. Then they wonder why the new skills and behaviours don’t stick and things revert back the way they were. It’s because you didn’t attend first to the system or the ‘commercial engine’.
- It’s hard because in many businesses things are working quite well. The business got into the position its in by feeling its way, and leaning into what works. But what got you here won’t get you there! To grow, the system needs to shift to enable growth. Otherwise it will push back against you. The challenge is to understand that although things are working well, they might not improve unless you make some changes. Which can have some temporary impact on what was working, but nevertheless, is the key to new growth.
What good looks like in practice
- Everyone understands their commercial contribution. Mindsets shift from just pleasing the boss to understanding how they ‘please’ customers and positively impact the market, industry and beyond.
- When the system works better, the culture also works better. And people work better. Less friction, more co-ordination. Like lifting a heavy table, everyone lifts. Customers get a much better consistent level of service.
- The system takes care of your full pipeline of opportunities and the right people know how to keep that pipeline flowing. They also learn ways to do it enjoyably, by creating the conditions under which your customers want to keep coming back.
Where most engineering firms go wrong
- They think that training people will solve the problem. Training is not the right answer UNTIL the system supports it. Not everyone will clock that vital point. It doesn’t help that a lot of training providers don’t understand that its a systems issue either. They genuinely believe that they can train your people to consistently sell better. Reality then catches up when they’re gone.
- Engineering leaders try to solve commercial challenges by hiring dedicated salespeople rather than developing the commercial capability of their technical experts. Your technical credibility is your biggest commercial asset, but you outsource the conversations where it matters most.
Where to start
Discuss the real issue inside the ‘system’ you’re in with colleagues before pointing the finger at people behaviour and performance. Would the system enable them to succeed in sales, or would it push back hard on them, despite them being trained or told that they can sell? Also diagnose your situation. You can start on that for free using our 4 tools below.
The thing worth checking in your business
The four tools below are very insightful, designed for technical businesses and engineers, and are free. They’re a great way to start exploring the reality of your situation and any opportunities to attend to. You can also contact us if you want to explore conversationally.
Want to know where your team actually stands?
Use the free commercial diagnostic tools to find out exactly where the gaps are in your team’s sales effectiveness, and what to do about them. Takes 10 minutes. The report is specific and actionable.