NewNet’s sales and technical support people may spend several months in the sales process (sales cycle). Regional account managers telephone and call on prospects to determine if they qualify for NewNet’s attention. Considerable time is taken to study the customer’s needs (needs discovery). The expert opinion of NewNet’s technical people is incorporated into a product configuration and sales proposal that is presented to the prospective customer. The sales presentation is often made to a number of decision makers in the prospect’s firm, including senior management, because of the effect new networking configurations can have on the client’s business. Demonstrations are usually required and often include technical NewNet team members. The final decision to purchase may follow after weeks of consideration within the firm and negotiations with NewNet.

Once a decision is made (closing the sale) by a customer to purchase, NewNet’s technical and support teams begin the process of acquiring, assembling, and installing the network system and then following through with appropriate training, integration, and support services. (Note: The previous account manager and the company’s technical support staff have supplied all the product information needed in these assignments. Your responsibility will be to analyze the buying process of each account, plan sales strategies to move the sales process forward, ultimately forming long-term partnerships and achieving the sales forecast.)

NewNet Regional Account Managers must carefully prospect for customers. NewNet may invest a significant amount of time helping a potential customer configure the right combination of products and services. After careful qualification, only the most serious accounts are cultivated. Further, Casey’s regional account managers must ascertain whether, if the investment of time is made in a prospective customer, the account will follow through with purchases from NewNet.

Casey is responsible for assuring that prospect information is collected and used effectively. The regional account salespeople use CRM software designed specifically for value-added resellers, such as NewNet Systems, to manage their prospect information. The system allows salespeople to document and manage their sales process with each prospect.

Refer to Chapter 9, Developing and Qualifying Prospects and Accounts, on p. 196, for your first sales meeting with your new sales manager on the status of your account list. Casey has several account development items for you to review. Additional meetings on moving your accounts successfully through the sales process will be presented at the end of Chapters 10–15.