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Updated: 12 hours ago Ask ACE

Ask ACE: What’s the best way to keep business development people on task and on staff?

By Donna Brassard, Strategies+

Q: What’s the best way to keep business development people on task and on staff?

ACE advises: Your expectations of the job and your employees’ understanding of it may be at cross purposes — and the problem could be the job title.

Sales drive your business. Salespeople generate sales. The title fits the job, and the job fits the title. Yet over time, more impressive titles have crept in — “business development manager,” “account executive,” “customer service representative” or “marketing and sales manager.”

These aren’t inaccurate, but they skirt the core purpose: making the sale. Employees may understandably assume the role is about maintaining current accounts, networking or promoting products — not actively pursuing new business.

The risk? Without clear titles, quotas, and priorities, it’s easy for sales staff to look busy while your pipeline runs dry. Busy work replaces the hard work of finding prospects, setting calls, and closing deals. Avoid the disconnect by setting clear expectations and managing activities toward results:

1. Call the role what it is: If you want a salesperson, say so. Skip vague or inflated titles that blur the mission. If the job is cold-calling prospects and closing deals, state that plainly in the title and posting.

2. Align the job description with sales quotas: Make new revenue the top priority. Require measurable actions — like a set number of prospect calls per week or quarterly quotas — so time isn’t lost on low-impact activities like long lunches or shopping for swag.

3. Manage activities, not just results: Sales take time, but activity drives results. Help employees focus on outreach, follow-ups and proposals instead of “busy” tasks. Review the pipeline weekly to keep attention on building business, not just keeping it.

Clear titles, goals and priorities keep both your strategy — and your sales team — on track.

Donna Brassard, former publisher of Mainebiz, is owner of Strategies+, a consulting firm helping businesses maximize their potential by developing dynamic sales and business strategies. Learn more at strategiesplus.biz. You can reach Donna directly at db55me@gmail.com.

The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a nonprofit association of independent consultants who value “success through collaboration.” The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com.

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