When the CEO Stops Selling

Many years ago I read an article about Michael Dell and Bill Gates. The main point of the article was how they used customer contact to guide their company's in the right direction, to anticipate changes/shifts in the market, and to build relationships with key customers.

The article noted that they spent up to 40% of their time in customer-facing situations.  40%!  Given all the things on their desk, that seemed like a lot of time.

When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.  CEOs, like no one else in the company, have a "sixth-sense" for opportunity.  As FORTUNE magazine said about Steve Jobs, he has a way of "seeing around corners". 

But this kind of vision is only a response to the stimulus of the market place, to feedback from customers, to the intuition that comes from getting out, talking to customers, suppliers, and sales reps.  When the CEO stops selling, the company stops innovating.

This kind of thing cannot be easily delegated. 

Sure, some staff members are also creative and intuitive.  But they do not have the authority to make major changes in the organization.  And if the CEO relies on them to "bring back a report", something gets lost in the translation.  It's just not the same.

Recently I met with a sales representative of a company I know pretty well.  The company was losing its edge.  Once the clear market leader, they were slowly getting out of touch with the market, with the customers, with the pulse of the industry.  Guess what... the CEO had stopped selling about 2 years ago.  He was not even going to the main industry trade shows to see what others were doing.   Bad news. No wonder they were falling behind. 

Seems he was pre-occupied with other things that were 'more important". 

In my view, there is nothing more important than customer contact and maintaining that "finger-tip feeling" for the marketplace.  We all know .. when you get out in the field, you learn things.  You reflect, You see your own company differently and you recognize both opportunities and threats.

Don't let that happen to your business.  Get out.  Meet customers.  Ask what they need. Make changes in your company to address those needs. Keep innovating, Motivate your staff, talk with suppliers.  At the end of the day, our success depends on our ability to adapt to the changing requirements of our customers and the market.  The only way to anticipate that is to get out of the office and interact.

Dedicated to Your Success in America

Jim Worrell

CEO