Sales Reliance
How reliant should Sales by on other parts of the company?
It’s OK — they should rely on the help of everyone. But, considering how they are the front line of the business (along with Customer Service), they really need to be equipped to drive the sales cycle forward.
Are sales reps at your company ready to answer tough questions about the product? Do they understand as much as they need to, at least from a high-level? Are they asking the right questions at the right points during their cycles?
I see much of this falling on the plate of Product Management. PM’s really are the pivot between tech, sales, marketing, and service. In a development-centric company they have to be able to explain the complex aspects of the products they are managing to everyone, in terms people can understand and use to their advantage. Of course, this is easier said than done and not always the case.
On the reverse, if it’s not the case, Sales may have a tendency to rely too much on a few key players of the business, which may cause some strain when attempting to scale
In my mind, effective communication between PM and Sales allows the company to be better prepared to close deals faster than competitors who have product teams not as "in" with the folks making sure the product (or product component) makes money.
