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Home » Be a Strategic Seller

Be a Strategic Seller

Target your customerﾒs bottom line, not his tool crib

By    John F.  Monoky, 
September 25, 2004
More about:  Management/Strategy,  Sales & Marketing

The role of the distributor salesperson is changing. Keeping your customer's shelf full is no longer enough. Today's salesperson must help his customers increase market share, introduce new products and manage resources more efficiently.


If you don't believe me, take some advice from the CEO of a major West Coast retailer. At a sales meeting for OrePac, a major building products distributor in Portland, OR, the CEO said flat out that of all the distributor salespeople who called on him, only two are strategic sellers. The rest are tactical salespeople.


According to the CEO, strategic salespeople sell products and services that have a direct impact on a customer's bottom line. Tactical salespeople sell products that wind up being neatly tucked away on the shelf. The ...

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The role of the distributor salesperson is changing. Keeping your customer's shelf full is no longer enough. Today's salesperson must help his customers increase market share, introduce new products and manage resources more efficiently.


If you don't believe me, take some advice from the CEO of a major West Coast retailer. At a sales meeting for OrePac, a major building products distributor in Portland, OR, the CEO said flat out that of all the distributor salespeople who called on him, only two are strategic sellers. The rest are tactical salespeople.


According to the CEO, strategic salespeople sell products and services that have a direct impact on a customer's bottom line. Tactical salespeople sell products that wind up being neatly tucked away on the shelf. The ...



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