Salespeople as Information Sources

Often salespeople are an organization's overlooked information source. They are out on the front line talking to customers and prospective customers about your organization's brand and its products and services. They hear a lot about customer needs and also about competitive offerings and messaging. The most productive salespeople have probably discovered some brand messages that open doors or even close sales. Wouldn't you like to know what they have found works? You could gather this salesperson information via informal conversations or more formal depth interviews or even focus groups. At a minimum, this approach with help with brand messaging, but perhaps even with brand positioning. Don't overlook your salespeople as a source of customer and marketplace information.