Conference 7.286::digital

    I read it - was posted on the wall at the Denver local office.
    
    As I recall, basically the person was pretty pissed about Digital Sales
    always getting blamed for the performance of the company - and had
    some thoughts on where the blame really should be placed.
    
    --Scott

    I haven't read that letter yet, but was the sales rep referring to the
    article on Lucente and his restructuring of the sales force?  I didn't
    think it was such a bad article, especially given that it was Business
    Week which used to fry Digital weekly.  All they were saying was that
    there is a new focus and emphasis on sales, whereas there was disdain
    and neglect previously.
    
    /d.c.

    
    I thought the letter in BW was sent to rebut the comments made about
    sales at the Atlanta DECUS convention.
    

    Maybe I am overly sensitive, but I see the Business Week(8/30) article
    as a real slam against the sales force.  Take the title "REVEILLE FOR
    DEC'S SLEEPY SALES FORCE".  In the article itself we are called 
    "notoriously weak" and "laid back".  By inference we are:
    
    * Not aggresive *Poorly trained *Inexperienced *Looking for a
      sales recipe *responsible for Digitals dismal trend 
    
    In response to this article Peggy L. Hawkes(Sales Rep.) from 
    Virginia Beach VA. sent a letter that appeared in the READERS
    REPORT section of the 9/20 BUSINESS WEEK.
    
         As a member of Digital's sales force for th past 9 years,
    I find it particularly offensive that we as a group continue to
    be blamed for the problems facing this company.  I have not 
    withessed and Digital salespeople sleeping in my office.  What
    I do see is a group of extremely dedicated, committed, and
    professional individuals trying to adjust to some major organ-
    izational changes.
         The sales force did not decide on the technologies, did 
    not develop the products, or even get to design the marketing
    campaigns.  Our senior management is out of touch with the
    field.  How does one sell "IMAGINE" the current marketing
    theme for all of our advertising?  We don't need a recipe, but
    we need solid products for our customers to buy.  And after
    it's sold, we need systems and people in place that let us 
    get back in the field to sell instaed of handholding every
    single order.
         We deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.  I'm
    disappointed that mangemnet doesn't understand the psychology
    of badgering the team.  I was taught you can get a horse to
    race a lot faster with some sugar than you can by beating
    him with a stick.
    
    'Nuff said.

    re: .4
    
    Perhaps "sleepy" and "laid back" are the wrong terms to use, and that's
    BW's fault.  I have worked with all manner of sales reps during the
    past several years, and one thing that I can not fault them on is
    energy.  But if energy alone could generate revenue than I'd be
    a millionaire.
    
    What the sales force has lacked over the years is a lack of technique
    and application of that technique.  It is well documented that IBM's
    concentration had been on sales, and ours on technology.  Tom Watson
    thought that all you needed were well-trained blue suits, and KO
    thought that all we needed was the best technology (and he had a
    distinct dislike for sales).  Well look where both companies are these
    days.
    
    The letter to BW does correctly point to a disconnect between marketing
    and sales.  Perhaps Lucente being a VP of Sales AND Marketing is the
    first step in the right direction.  What we also desparately need is
    for this company to do REAL marketing (strategy/research, etc.) instead
    of product pushing whatever exits an engineering group's door or
    whomever's pet 3rd party application.
    
    /d.c.

    
    It seems to me that the DEC Sales force was never held in high
    esteem by KO.  This feeling, I believe, was conveyed all the way to our
    customers.  The base line was that ..."if you build it, the customers
    will buy it."  With that as an entry point, who needs a sales force?
    
    Ergo, we could staff the sales force with wannabes who thought they
    could go out and sell when in fact they were never more than order takers. 
    They used the phrase: "Strategic Investment" as a cover for "Gimme an
    allowance."
    
    Times change.
    
    As we have discovered (Corporately) there is a litle saying that is
    painfully true:  "nothing happens until somebody sells something." 
    
    Note the two key words:  Somebody and Something -- I believe the sales
    force, as currently constituted, can sell.  I believe the current
    products are the Something.  The trick is to get everyone in the
    corporation to understand that the terms "Something and Somebody" have
    to be in concert.  
    
    I believe that with Palmer and Lucente we are getting the
    corporation going in one direction.  IMHO, I believe that the sales
    force needs to get an attitude.  In my office, I see lotsa sales folks
    busting their buts chasing deals using a good amount of creativeness.
    
    I see them getting Pissed off because the competition is out there
    trying to take away their deals.  I hope that other offices are
    experiencing the same attitude readjustment.
    
    Regarding exhuberence and high energy.  I had a customer tell me one
    time that he doesn't pay for productivity, he pays for results -- he
    pays for the paper on the table (as he said.)  Sooooo, U can bounce
    around the office like ricochet rabbit and not get any deals -- All
    that energy only matters if U put paper on the table.
    
    My .02
    
    Dennis   

    I sent a message to John Rando, about a opening of the government
    regualations.  
    
    No IRS purchase of computer hardware or software now is required to
    come from a GSA catalogue.  This means that if they move quickly
    Digital can bring the U.S. Treasury department up into the modern age.
    They want to make 3 or 4 new central hubs, and tye all of the computer
    equipment together so they can use workstations, laser printers, and
    electronic mail.  This sale if done could make Digital one of the 
    largest suppliers of equipment in this former IBM fortress.  
    
    Have I had a reply?  NO!
    
    I asked him to forward the mail if he was not the proper person to send
    the message to, but I have heard nothing.
    
    So much for SALES LEADS.
    
    Dave

    
    
    Dave,
    
    Rest assured that someone has taken the information you so freely
    offered and is keeping it a secret so that it can be used later to
    parlay into a big raise.
    
    Credit will not be given where it is due.  
    
    -Ed

    re .7:
    
    Resend your original memo.  It may have gotten lost in the shuffle. 
    Some of these folks receive over a hundred memos a day and
    understandably cannot get it all done.  I suspect you'll get a response
    the second time.
    

    
     re .7
    
     I work in the Treasury, could you forward me the memo. If the IRS
    bypasses GSA you can rest assured other departments will follow. This
    is politics, ya'know.
    
    Mike Zarudzki @cop
    Tony Celeste @cop
    NEWVAX::MZARUDZKI
    GRANMA::TCELESTE
    
    Thanks in advance.
    -Mike Z.