As a regular gym goer, I’m always noticing parallels between working out and sales.
I know that the more times I complete a programme, the better at it I become. I also notice that if I don’t do it for a while it takes a few goes before I get back to where I was before I moved onto something else.
This week I went back to some heavy weight training programmes that I hadn’t done regularly for a couple of months and my body was screaming for an Epsom Salt bath when I got home yesterday 😊
You don’t suffer physical pain when you don’t use the Sales Leadership muscles that are essential for a high performing team but you do experience pain…and in many ways, it’s much worse because it affects your sales people as well as you!
Here’s my take on the essential Sales Leadership muscles that must be worked constantly…
Coach rather than tell
Unless a sales person is new they always know what they should be doing…they’re just not doing it. The only way you can change their thinking about the activity is to coach them. This helps them identify their own barriers…and solutions!
Have those difficult conversations as soon as possible
It’s crucial that you communicate observations that are not a good fit for your culture, your customers or the sales team. Hoping it goes away or fixes itself over time is as good as saying it’s OK for them to continue. Remember you train people how to treat you! It’s also the kindest thing to do as the person themselves may not realise the impact they are having and you’re giving them an opportunity to change.
Constantly grow and develop your sales people
Pushing your sales people out of their comfort zone…then supporting them during the resulting stress is the only way to develop your team beyond where they currently are. Don’t push them so far out that you create terror…small steps are easier for them to manage and quickly build confidence.
Love and care for your sales people
The more you care the happier they are…and the more sales they generate. This doesn’t mean being soft. It’s more about doing the right thing by them rather than the easy thing!
Exercising these muscles will put you in the top 10% of Sales Leaders in my experience. So few Sales Leaders I meet do these 4 things really well…especially without training.
If you need support developing these skills, then find a trainer/coach that can help you…just as you would get a personal trainer in the gym. It really is the shortest and quickest route from where you are now to where you really want to be!
Strong Sales Leadership muscles take continued repetition…are you up for the challenge?
Until next time,
Leigh 😊
PS That’s not my arm by the way…I’m working on it though 😉
