The Analysis Forums


Bridging or widening the gap?


Sales and Credit are traditionally in opposition – but it does not have to be that way


Paul Hodgson International business development manager, Forums International


It was in the mid-1980s when I entered the business world and found myself working at CCN Business Information in Nottingham. They would become Experian many years later. My role, field sales person managing the relationships in the North West. My colleagues, many of whom were long-


in-the-tooth sales people, were quick to impart their knowledge of how to smooth out any internal hurdles, particularly with the credit department. Advice on how to get a new order, or a renewal, through the system. It never made sense to me. Why should


there be this resistance and a lack of trust between people working at the same business? All of the blame, from the sales team, was thrown across the fence, landing squarely at the credit team’s door. Working with a client in the City recently,


we were astonished to hear that the old, inaccurate descriptors of credit control remain as strong today as ever: ‘Credit control (risk department), oh! you mean order prevention’, ‘the grim reapers’, and ‘they have no idea what it takes to get sales. They are a pain, avoid if at all possible’. But these criticisms go both ways. I have


and challenges of each other’s roles. For salespeople, of which I am one, we should recognise that the look and feel of any new business prospect should meet certain criteria before beginning the pursuit. Or potential and significant revenue growth from an existing client should not be assumed that it will be granted. For the credit teams, if you are not always


doing so already, speak to the sales managers or directors and become a member at each of their monthly sales meetings, and openly discuss the challenges from the previous month, but also reference how well certain discussion went between you and the sales teams. Quantify it by providing hard facts. And here is an idea: on the assumption


Admittedly, listening to these sentiments from both sides is not as common as it once was, but they are still there, bubbling like a pressure cooker


often heard the credit team use phrases like: ‘The sales team, what a joke. They will sign anything up, no matter how bad’, ‘Sharks, the lot of them’, ‘They never tell us in advance who they are talking to. They deserve all they get when the deal gets rejected’, ‘They are only doing it to get commission’, and ‘They spend their day either on the golf course or in a lay-by having a sleep’. Admittedly, listening to these sentiments from both sides is not


as common as it once was, but they are still there, bubbling like a pressure cooker. Contained, but still there, creating tension and diverting attention away from what really matters: how can we be better for our clients tomorrow than we are today? And how can we attract the right clients in future? Bridging the gap between the sales teams and your credit teams is


a must for a harmonious business. Some companies invest heavily on training staff members to become better at their job, but invest little – more often nothing – in educating staff members in the intricacies


July 2017


that you use an information provider as one of your risk tools, if that provider tells you of a credit-rating improvement, take those golden nuggets to the sales team and tell them. Any credit improvement offers the potential to grow the revenue from that client. Potential revenue opportunities coming from the credit team! Who would have thought? Bridge the gap and embrace how well


sales and credit management can work together. A team working in unison will


make your business stronger, shorten the on-boarding process for clients, and build a more harmonious business. The relationship between credit and sales is just one of the many topics we cover at the forum meetings.


Forums update July is our busiest month for forums before the holiday period starts: l 11 July – Credit Professionals Forum – Bracknell l 12 July – SAP User Group – Birmingham l 13 July – IT Distributors & Resellers Forum – Stratford-upon- Avon l 18 July – Business & Office Products Forum – London l 19-20 July – International Credit Forum – Dublin l 25 July – International Apparel Forum – London Wishing you all a very happy summer holiday! CCR


www.CCRMagazine.co.uk 13


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