There are many leadership guru’s that are ex armed forces. They’re great at so many leadership skills BUT (yes I used the but word) leading a sales team requires some very different skills.
Here are my thoughts:
Armed Forces Team
- Do what they are told…unquestioningly
- There’s a right way to do things…do not try another way
- Trained to repeat behaviours precisely and exactly
- This creates predictability and trust in your team-mates
The reason they do this is because lives depend on it. They have to work as one team. This is why they are the elite and we trust them to serve and protect.
Sales Team
- Flexibility is key…there’s no right or wrong way
- They are dealing with customers who are all different so must change their approach to suit each customer and stakeholder
- Questioning past behaviours is vital to constantly tweak and improve
- If you keep telling your sales people what to do, they stop thinking for themselves and become less successful
A high performing sale team is created by individual sales people being the very best version of themselves…their behaviours are not exactly the same. That’s the beauty of a sales team…a gathering of people that bring their uniqueness to the team to create magic.
So whilst ex forces leaders have a lot to teach us, be careful what you apply to your team because they are not in the armed forces. They operate in the world of developing strong relationships with customers and creating win/win relationships. Unlike the armed forces who focus only on dealing with the baddie and winning the battle.
Sales has come a long way since those days…and thank goodness for that!
Until next time,
