How Konica Minolta Built a World-Class Sales Team

When it comes to building a world-class sales team, two things are critical: hiring and coaching.

Konica Minolta is a leader in both. Nowhere is this more evident than every July, when the best of the best in our sales organization gathers at President’s Club to celebrate their successes, share best practices and learn innovative sales techniques to continue to take their game to the next level.

As president of our direct channel sales organization, I am thankful for these individuals. People who embody the company’s philosophy to create new value, not only for society but also for each and every one of our clients by solving their business problems and being their trusted partner.

We can all be inspired by them. We can all take a page out of the President’s Club playbook and aspire to greatness with each interaction on behalf of the company. Regardless of our role, we must bring Konica Minolta’s 6 Values to every customer experience.

We must be open and honest in every relationship. We must be customer centric in every task we perform. We must be passionate and innovative as we develop new technology and new processes to improve business and society. We must be inclusive and collaborative with colleagues, partners and clients. And, we must be accountable for our actions both personally and as an organization.

We hire the right people for the job. And we recognize that learning and coaching are cornerstones to keeping and growing these individuals. In the sales organization, we have implemented innovative learning curricula, with every person at every level in the sales channel receiving targeted training. This is especially critical during the onboarding phase, when new employees need not only the tools to navigate their jobs and this company, but also the tools to excel. That is why every new sales representative receives targeted coaching. That is why our sales team excels: because we hold them to high standards just as they hold themselves.

We also place a critical value on coaching. As an interactive process between a coach and an employee, coaching improves abilities, sets goals and supports behaviors that lead to better business outcomes. Any organization can teach sales training, imparting new skills and knowledge. Truly great organizations coach by putting the emphasis on employee strengths and performance improvement.

President’s Club is a testament to this. Its members are the best of the best. But every one of us, whether in sales or elsewhere in the organization, can strive for superior achievements. In fact, I challenged all of our President’s Club members to think of the little things that they do that make them successful, and pass them on to a peer. In other words, be a mentor!

To paraphrase the late great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden: “Big things are accomplished only through the perfection of minor details.”