Sales Leaders and Salespeople Needing to Be Liked is killing you

Love this take on needing to be liked

Too many salespeople need to be liked - need people’s approval

The impact is they will not ask great questions, they will not ask for the deal, they crumble when they get pushback.

Too many sales leaders need to be liked - need their salespeople’s approval

The impact is they will not be able to hold them accountable, they will not be able to have great coaching sessions, they will delay performance management.

This video is an interesting way to consider being liked.

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The Common Language of Leadership

What is your leadership language like?

Do your people really understand you? Understand where you want to go and how you will get there with their help?

Do you really have alignment to your goals/ambitions? How would you know?

Recently I have been assisting a client with their growth ambitions.

We teased out what these were in a strategy session with the leadership team. We articulated the gaps to achieve the said ambitions of the owner.

Now how are we going to work on the gaps. 3 projects were identified.

One of those being a growth culture.

Starts with alignment.

We have been working on 3 guiding principles for the business and the appropriate above and below the line behaviours. When each one was created by the leadership team they then needed to engage their various team members to get their buy in - this has gone very well.

The leadership team thought this was all done - no no no. This is a continual engagement I explained. How are you going to weave this into everyday communication within your team? How is this going to become part of your company language?

Here is a fun video to get the message across from a sitcome in the 70s “Mind your Language”. Want to know how to get your leadership and sales team onboard and speak a common language - the organisational language - ask us.

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The Marginal Gains with Sales Process

So many people dont understand the power of marginal gains within the sales process.

By making small changes in one aspect of the sales process can have a huge impact on the revenue and profit.

Here is a video explaining it.? Check this video out. Want to know how to get your sales team onboard and realise this - ask us.

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Focus on Being

This is a great speech with some great perspectives. Approximately 4.4 minutes long

What makes you uniquely beautiful - seeing others for who they really are.

Who are we going to be? Check this video out.

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What a Small Tweak within the Same Framework Can Achieve

When ever you start discussing chnage people can get quite stressed. “what will I have to do, what’s wrong with the current system or process?”. What will it mean for me?

As leaders we need to consider these feelings and more that occur in people when it comes to discussing change.

Ask a question to those you need to change = “what if you could make a series of small teaks within the current framework of what we do that would compound to quite a resultant shift. Check this video out.

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Different Sales Engagement Versions

In the video by Trevor Coltham, lead trainer and coach for SG Partners, he discusses the different types of sales engagements he has seen from sales people.

He explores the pro’s and con’s for the different types of engagement such as value selling, challenger sale, spin selling, consultative selling and then shares what ultimately is best practice in todays much needed selling environment.

You see many buyers or those involved in the selection process have researched their problem and potential solutions so do they need a sales person telling them what they already know? Do the need a sales person educating them? Anyway, watch the video as Trevor explains more.

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10 Reasons Why Companies Evaluate Their Sales Force with SG Partners

- and what’s there to gain?

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1. They want to grow.

2. They don't know whether they have the right salespeople or sales managers to achieve that growth.

3. They need a better understanding of how to effectively manage their people daily.

4. They don't know why their salespeople aren't doing what they have been asked to do.

5. They don't know if their salespeople can do more (or how much more).

6. Their company isn't exceeding its goals.

7. Their competition has a better market share.

8. Their margins have been slipping.

9. Their salespeople are caught in a "comfort zone".

10. Management is accepting mediocrity from its sales force.

SG Partners work with sales teams all around Australia to provide tailored growth improvement programs:

One of the keys to the success of any program is knowing what we are working with as a first step. SG Partners conduct personalised leadership and sales team evaluations that enable us to tailor-make the change program.

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How do I identify whether a salesperson is a Hunter or a Farmer?

We all know how successful sports stars compete, they practice and play to their strengths. Well, why not take the same attitude to sales? How can you work more effectively with the team you already know and have right now? In doing so, you automatically give yourself a distinct advantage and very likely differentiate yourself. Do you know your sales teams strengths and how to work with them?

• Are your people Hunter or Farmer types?

• Do they prefer setting the opportunity up rather than closing it?

• Who in the team prefers to be more technical rather than consultative sales approach?

The interesting thing is that most salespeople do not know their strengths and potential growth areas. When we assess them and deliver the results, they usually say, "That's me, and wow, I did not know that’s where I play at my best… I normally just do what I do.” You deserve the very best sales team. From acquiring the very best, you can achieve the results you never thought possible.

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When you screen your team with us, we provide information against the 21 core competencies of great salespeople.

How easy would it be if you could see your teams proof of skills and abilities?

Get your sales assessment tool free sample here

6 Tips to Improve Sales Team Performance

– You Might Not Have Thought Of

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If you are reading this article, it is likely you play a crucial role in your sales team and are seeking ways to improve your sales team's performance. Fortunately, I have got 6 ideas to improve your sales team, you might not have thought of...

1. Identify your farmers and hunters

Who is best at developing new business and who is best at managing existing business? Who prefers setting the opportunity up rather than closing it and who is more technical than via application knowledge sales? The interesting thing is that most salespeople do not know their own strengths. When we assess them and deliver the results, they will often say “That’s me, and wow I did not know that was where I play at my best.” If you are aware of their strengths, you can redefine their roles, then plan growth strategies accordingly. Download a free sample of our evaluation here.

2. Be a mentor, not just a manager

Great managers can improve sales team performance by sharing their own experiences with their employees. Enforcing an open-door policy and trading ‘war stories’ with your sales team for learning purposes, will strengthen the culture and increase your salespeople’s’ loyalty and motivation.

3. Hold your salespeople accountable

There are sales managers out there who believe they need to be liked by their team, others lack skills or the confidence to assert themselves over a salesperson, or they simply do not have the authority to hire and fire and it is leaving their sales team with a lack of direction and accountability.

It is time to get trained on creating and managing KPI’s and processes, and how to hold each salesperson accountable to them. Before you ask, this is not a direct contradiction from, ‘be a mentor, not just a manager’ point. In fact, it directly relates: an army drill soldier can be both an authority figure and mentor, as a sales manager you can too!

4. Find out what drives them

Knowing what drives your team and how to reward them correctly could make all the difference. Consider this, in 2007, 54% of the sales force were Extrinsically Motivated, by 2011, this dropped down to just 27%. In 2017, from the most recent 350,000 salespeople assessed, that percentage dropped an additional 70% to just 8%. The shift from Extrinsically (money based) to Intrinsically Motivated (internal reward based) renders commission based bonus-plans a thing of the past.

5. Have an ideal client profile memorised

If you don’t already have one, this is a sheet/checklist that defines your company’s ideal client attributes. Think in terms of size, industry, buying habits, budget, business alignments and situation factors; the list goes on. Once decided, each member of your sales team should be held accountable for memorising this profile thus be able to identify the essential qualities before conducting any business. Align your pursuit of new business with this profile. Over time, as the business grows or changes, so should the ideal client.

6. Finally, commence sales team training NOW!

Sales have moved on from features and benefits selling. It's changed from ABC – Always Be Closing. It has changed from SPIN – why? Well, guess what, your clients/buyers have moved on and changed, so shouldn’t your team too? I got some questions for you:

• Is your sales team selling like they were five years ago?

• Using the same show-up and throw-up routine?

• STILL meeting/talking to the same level of people they have always done and are comfortable with?

• Still believe rapport building is talking about sports for 30 minutes?

If you do not know the answers to these questions – perhaps you should be worried. Answering "Yes" to these questions – you should be worried! Finally, if you were thinking, “What's the problem?” - you're obviously not worried but you SHOULD be terrified! How many will you implement?

Sales and Resistance

This week, we bring you a video of Michael asking, what is it that we want our salespeople to do when they meet resistance?

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