Page 118 - Company Excellence

Part II: Chapter 3 ‐ The Competence

which is about nothing less than the future development of a
company: heads are spinning, just three competencies left to define,
discuss, describe - then it's done. The sales manager of a large
medium-sized company from the consumer goods industry, the
sales director as senior manager and a top salesperson sit together
with other team members and an ASSESS expert and define the
competencies that the individual sales employees need in order to
achieve the goals of the company as a whole:

• "If the company is striving to achieve its vision: 'As the market
leader, we convince our customers through service and
customer friendliness,' the salesperson on site must above
all also have listening skills," says the top salesman. He knows
from experience that salespeople often prefer to indulge in
enthusiastic product information in front of the customer and
try to persuade him or her to be happy, rather than calmly
listening to the customer and convincing him or her.
• "We are and will remain market leaders if we not only listen
and advise well, but also sell in a target-oriented manner,"
argues the sales manager, "so the job profile of the
salesperson definitely includes closing orientation."
• The senior manager adds: "The products are becoming more
and more similar. We can achieve an unmistakable
competitive edge if we build up a stable relationship with the
customer that is characterized by trust. The buyer must have
what it takes to be a relationship manager."

The discussion drags on for a long time, but it is fruitful and extremely
valuable, because it forces the project team to think carefully about
which competencies are actually important for realizing the vision. A
similarly stimulating discussion develops around the job profile of the
sales manager:

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