Are Two Salespeople Better Than One?

Are two salespeople better than one? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.

Well-planned, well-executed joint sales calls can impress customers, add additional value to the product or service you sell, close sales, and retain business. But when a joint call goes bad, the results can be disastrous.

Joint sales calls are customer visits with two or more people from the selling organization. Joint visits may include a sales manager who teams up with a sales rep to observe and coach, a support person who accompanies a salesperson to demonstrate the added value of the organization, a technical specialist who helps a customer solve a problem, or an executive who visits with the customer to acknowledge the customer's importance.

If you've ever been involved in a joint sales call that's gone awry and want to be sure it doesn't happen again, here are few tips:

Don't overwhelm the customer. Nothing is more embarrassing to both customer and salesperson than parading in with an army of people only to find that the appropriate individuals aren't available. Make sure the buyer knows who's coming and why. This gives the customer the opportunity to be sure the right people from their organization attend and that the meeting space is adequate.

Have an agenda. An agenda is necessary for all effective meetings, but it's crucial for joint calls. The selling team needs to agree on what topics will be covered and by whom. The duties of the responsible party include being in charge of the assigned portion of the meeting - presenting, providing materials, and answering questions. If a question is asked that's best answered by another team member, the lead person should acknowledge the question, then refer it to the other person. This helps to maintain order and credibility.

Never disagree in front of the customer. This kind of behavior isvery unprofessional and makes the customer uncomfortable. If there's a question as to the accuracy of a team member's statement, let it go and get back to the customer with the correct information later. Even if the team member in charge of a specific topic begins to question their own response, the other team members should wait to be invited into the discussion to respond to the customer.

In a coaching call, make sure the salesperson leads the whole meeting. Observing goes on during the call, and coaching is reserved for afterward. A boss who takes over coaching calls undermines the salesperson's credibility with the customer. In preparation for a coaching call, a good salesperson tells the boss what to expect and tells the customer why the manager is visiting. The coach should take notes during the call and review what transpired with the salesperson after the meeting.

Communicate the importance of the executive joint call to the customer. Is the executive making a visit to see the customer's operation, bestow an award, or find out why business is off? Prepare your customer as to the reason for the call and coach them through it. Don't let these calls be a surprise. It can backfire on you if the customer and the executive are unprepared for each other.

Joint calls are a great opportunity to convey to your customer how valuable you think they are. Be sure all parties know what to expect, and your joint calls will build relationships and business.