Giving the Wrong Sales Force the Wrong Direction is a Formula for Disaster

A sales force is a specialized tool, finely tuned to serve a particular customer base. Attempting to compel that specialized sales force to attack a completely different market segment is a common but disastrous strategic error.

This is especially true when the product itself is not a good fit for the new target market.

The Consequences of Misdirection:

• Sales Force Rejection: The sales force, recognizing that the product is a poor fit and that they lack the relationships and expertise in the new market, will quickly become demoralized. They will gravitate back to selling products they know to customers they understand, effectively blacklisting the new initiative.
• Wasted Resources: The company wastes enormous resources trying to force a strategy that cannot work. This includes not just the direct cost of the sales force but the massive opportunity cost of the sales that were lost because the team was focused on a futile effort.
• Factory vs. Field Conflict: The factory, blind to the realities of the new market, blames the "incompetent" sales force. The sales force, facing constant rejection from customers, blames the bad product and strategy. This internal warfare paralyzes the company.

A sales force is not a generic, infinitely flexible resource. It is a specialized asset. Misusing it is a formula for failure.