When I work with Sales Leaders, I always share that it’s important to treat your sales team the same way you treat your clients. One size doesn’t fit all…if you have 20 sales people in your team you will need 20 different approaches to nurture and develop them…and their sales success.
Think of it this way…
I get really excited when I have to revise a client proposal. For me, it’s evidence that the client and I are working together to create a journey that will truly deliver what they want to achieve with their Sales Leaders and Sales People.
These twists and turns get the juices flowing for everyone concerned and always create a unique approach that’s perfect for them. Then it’s my responsibility to deliver that outcome.
I also do that when I’m working with Sales People…the twists and turns create a unique approach that’s perfect for them…then it’s my responsibility to deliver that approach.
Can you see what I did then? 😉
Have you ever taken the time to reflect on the impact your leadership is having on each of your team? Is it helping them grow…or not?
How often do you have a conversation with them about how they are feeling about things, their dreams and aspirations? Or do you only focus on KPI’s and pipelines?
What do you know about them as a person?
Imagine putting a client proposal together without knowing all the facts…
…How likely would you be to get the business?
I’m astounded by the number of Sales Leaders I meet that think they can increase the sales their team generate by focusing only on the numbers. By telling sales people what they should be doing to increase their sales. By teaching them skills and thinking that’s enough to give them the confidence to implement the skills.
It doesn’t work…it never did.
You have to know your people in order to develop your people. You have to develop trust so that they buy into the vision. You have to co-create their development journey so that they are inspired to deliver the milestones.
Years ago, sales was a simpler less complex game. There were lots of sales people who were simply order takers…and it was easy to hide if the numbers were there. Now sales people have to be so much more agile and flexible because buyers are so much more informed and technology has shifted us all to new heights. Sales people have had to change to keep up.
Years ago, sales leadership was a simpler less complex game. Deliver the numbers and it was easy to hide but sales people today need more support than ever to keep the pace required in a fast-changing world. They need more from their leaders.
How prepared are you to deliver?
Until next time,
