If you rely on a salesperson to manage the relationship with the customer the customer may perceive the salesperson is the company. I know a situation where a sales person was let go for cause. When informed by the new salesperson that his predecessor had left several customers asked if he sold the company.
Are the customers buying from the company or from the salesman? Can you sales person take the customer with them if they move to a competitor?
These are tough questions. You want your sales people to be outgoing and friendly. You need them to be the face of the company and you want your customers to be comfortable dealing with them. In short you want the customer to like your sales people but not more than the company, service or product you are providing.
If your sales people work from your office it might be as easy as listening in a few sales calls to see what is being said and how customers are being managed.
If the sales people are working outside of your immediate place of business it can be very difficult to find out what is going on. You may need to go with the sales people to see what is happening. Make sure you message is consistent and the message you want being presented. You may consider written documentation of the message and sales training.
A no-compete-agreement may help but it may also be unenforceable.
Do as much as you can to differentiate your company and product from the competition. Find out who your biggest customers are. Call them personally on a regular basis. It only needs to be a phone call to ask them how they are doing. You may find out some surprising things about your product, your company or your sales person. Your personal attention will make the customers feel you care about their business and that there is more to you company than just your sales person.
All original content ©Thomas Robinson 2010
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