The Business Case for educating Sales Professionals and Sales Leaders in Business Acumen
More and more is being asked of sales people and sales managers when it comes to business knowledge and commercial acumen. Gone are the days of just being a product expert. Sales people need to be competent business people too.
Being able to understand strategy (sales strategy); how businesses, markets, and communities function; and where we, our products, services and business works in concert with our clients is on the agenda in business. Today, clients expect to communicate and deal with a real professional who knows how business functions. They want to have business discussions not product discussions.
Studies Show
Our studies reveal that there is little if any discussion about the big picture or business strategy, or innovation or supplier integration. A surprising finding was the low level of business knowledge and commercial acumen with sales managers in the technical product sectors – very focused on product quality, distribution and service they are not working at the required level to make business decisions and work strategically with clients.
Barrett has developed a 2 day Introduction to Business Acumen Program for sales managers and high level sales people.
The program is designed to:
- give sales professionals an overview of the key fundamentals of business management and what it takes to lead and manage a business
- help them plan and manage their business or client portfolios more effectively
- enhance their interactions with clients and allow them to present as a business person, not just a product sales person.
- build their awareness and deepen their empathy with their clients
- Help them be better corporate citizens within their own companies making sure they attract and orchestrate the right kind of business for their own organisation
Program includes cases studies, simulations and theory. Participants work on developing and running their own ‘fictional’ business.
The Business Acumen for Sales Professionals covers 9 key topics:
- Leadership
- Strategy
- Planning
- Culture
- People
- Customers
- Processes
- Measurement
- Execution
Speak to us about your sales training needs.
Talk to us, your selling better advisory team, and we’ll be able to advise you on the best training solution for your business.
Case Study
Selling Better project gives sales team a distinct competitive advantage that delivers increase in profitable sales in 12 weeks
Industry: Hairdresser/Beauty salons Type: Private/SME
Sales culture change from a discounting climate to a Selling Better culture through the design and implementation of sales strategy and process, and sales training and development.
Top 5 Articles for Q1, 2025
In 30 Seconds In Q1 2025, what’s been turning heads is a shift back to the human fundamentals—how we engage, communicate, lead, and sell in ways that create real connection and trust. With so ...
Growth Stalled? The Absence of a Sales System in Founder-Led Businesses
In 30 seconds Founder-led businesses often start with the founder driving sales through vision and hustle. Early success comes quickly but scaling stalls due to the absence of a sales system inside ...
Digital Stagecraft: Engage, Communicate & Sell Better in the Digital Age
In 30 seconds With Gartner predicting in the near future that 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels, reflecting a substantial move towards digital-first ...
Sales Culture = Safety Culture: The Key to Business Growth
In 30 seconds Just like safety, sales should be a shared responsibility across all teams—not just the sales department. When organisations embed a sales culture the way they do safety, every employee ...
