Lee Salz is a Featured Columnist for The Business Journals.
When executives describe their sales organizations, they often use expressions like “sales department,” “sales team,” and “sales force.” Those three expressions are used as synonyms when, in reality, they serve as phases of the sales organization maturation process.
When the business first opened its doors, the proprietor conducted all of the selling. After a period of time, it dawned on the small business owner that he or she needs to focus on CEO tasks rather than be the sole rainmaker. As a result, steps were taken to hire their first salesperson.
The experience for this this salesperson when joining the company was much like an Indiana Jones movie. No roadmap was provided, just a destination was shared (sometimes, not even that).