How Translation PMs Can Generate Sales | Localisation Sales ...

Translation PMs are some of the most overworked, yet most under-utilized resources in any translation company. What can I possibly mean by under-utilized? ?Project managers are crazy busy managing resources and meeting client deadlines with constantly-changing variables. ?How can they be under-utilized? ?While it?s true that most translation PMs are crazy-busy, I sometimes wonder whether they are simply busy doing things that could be automated (file management) or whether some of their time could be freed up to move the business forward by helping to generate additional revenue.

Project managers in sales? ?This isn?t as ludicrous or scary (to PMs) as it sounds. ?I?m by no means advocating that PMs become part of the outbound sales team, cold calling and prospecting for new customers. ?What I am suggesting is that translation companies and their PMs capitalise on their, sometimes very strong, relationships with customers to generate incremental revenue.

Why?

Project managers tend to have a stronger relationship with the customer than sales people. ?After all, these are the people who DELIVER. ?These are the people with whom the customer is in frequent contact throughout the course of a project. ?Relationships develop, customers share what?s going on in their professional and personal lives, perhaps even information about company initiatives and changes well before they happen?information that any sales person would love to know, but can?t know because they are not intimately involved in the day-to-day communication regarding projects.

Unfortunately many project managers simply don?t realise the importance of the information customers share, because they are generally not trained to see business (sales) opportunities and are too busy trying to deliver. ?This is a shame, since expanding relationships with existing customers is so much easier than winning new ones (about 50% easier). ?Maybe it?s the fragmented nature of our customer?s companies, but customers themselves don?t always realise the importance of the information they share either, when if they were aware, they would be happy to recommend our services or go to bat for us with co-workers in need of translation services. ?It?s up to us to listen to what customers say and connect the dots to new business potential. ?PMs are usually in the best position to do this.

I?m really not advocating that PMs become sales people. ?But I do advocate they become more commercially aware and learn to recognise sales opportunities when they present themselves. ?They don?t have to close the deal themselves, but merely communicate it to the correct sales person. ?In a time when we all want to increase revenues more quickly, doesn?t it make sense to capitalise on relationships we already have that offer shorter sales cycles and an increased probability of closure?

So what am I suggesting? ?What can PMs do to spot sales opportunities?

1) ?Think! ?Does the current project imply future projects? ?If it?s a contract translation, what happens when the contract is won? ?Marketing materials? ?Website?

2) ?Do customer comments suggest additional business? ?When a customer mentions a merger or acquisition, this could suggest business opportunities. ?If they mention a new product that is outside their division or product group, it could also suggest additional revenue opportunities. ?Ask the client about it. ?Depending on their answer, you may want to get your sales team involved to pursue it.

3) ?Does your customer complain about internal problems that affect translations? ?Or conversely do you complain about things the customer does that hinders your ability to deliver? ?Both of these can be sales opportunities. ?Customer problems suggest opportunities. ?Make your sales colleagues aware of these problems and offer to discuss potential solutions. ?Sales people are not always equipped to do this themselves and will appreciate your insights. ?Perhaps the two of you together can present the new solution to the customer.

This all sounds great, but PMs must have some kind of motivation beyond altruism to add this to their list of things to do.

It?s management?s responsibility to make this happen.

Here are 7 things you can do to encourage PMs to take on some limited sales responsibility.

1) ?Recognise you?re probably not getting as much revenue from existing clients as you think.

2) Remember that incremental business from existing customers is far easier and faster to win than finding and developing new customers.

3) Provide training to PMs so they know how to recognise sales opportunities.

4) Free up PM time that is wasted managing files and doing things that don?t directly improve project delivery or the bottom line.

5) ?Foster collaboration between sales and PMO to handle referrals and other internally-generated opportunities.

6) Rethink compensation. ?PMs deserve recognition for uncovering opportunities just as much as sales people do for closing them. ?Cross-departmental team incentives are something to consider, since the PMs role is bound to increase as customers demand more insight and specific knowledge to solve their problems. ?Much of this expertise lies in the PMO organisation, not sales.

7) Never underestimate the power of Sales/PMO collaboration. ?Opportunities uncovered by PMs have helped me close well over $750k in sales that I otherwise might not have won on my own. ?Fortunately they were rewarded right along side me for their contributions.

We need all the sources of revenue we can find. PMs can be a crucial one!

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Source: http://www.l10nsalesandmarketing.com/archives/2075

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