When I joined Dell I was told by every sales manager I met that Dell was a sales led company. What did that mean, well one candidate at a job interview had the perfect answer.
The role being hired was a junior marketing position and I had a sales manager assisting with the interview - I was ensuring I had his buy in to my selection. He then asked the candidate if she thought that a company was best led by sales or marketing. (What a horrible question for an interview I thought, especially as her potential sales and marketing bosses were conducting the interview.)
But I shouldn't have concerned myself about her response as she uttered the memorable words: "surely shouldn't a company be customer led".
Not only did it sort out the sales guy but it left me with an answer for life.
I suppose Dell was and still is sales led as she didn't get the job!
