Respect the Hierarchy; Work the Matrix

Dear ToddCohen.com Sales Community,

You are in a big company, and most likely there is  a hierarchy that exists. You need help. What can you do? Well, the first thing you should be doing is building your virtual team to deliver the client solution. Your Sales Culture demands it!  You need to ask people to help and lend their talents and expertise. That’s the essence of the Sales Culture!

I want to use this blog entry to create a conversation around the hierarchy that you need to expect and your right to work in the matrix (the flat organization) or an organization where you can pick up the phone and engage anyone! You are accountable to inform all relevant parties of someone’s involvement, but make sure you engage the right people!

Confused? Don’t be. When you are building your virtual team, you have to be able to reach out and across the organization. People sit in silos, and you need to feel empowered to engage people and not feel stifled and that you need to get levels of permission from the hierarchy first. You need to understand that the hierarchy needs to be understood and respected and at the same time I will say that you can work the matrix and engage directly. Your client is counting on you to deliver quickly.

As always, let me know what you think.

Good Selling!

Todd