Seven Wildly Effective Habits of a Sensational Fractional Sales Leader
As a fractional CMO/VP Marketing for many companies, I got a front-row seat watching a terrific fractional sales leader in action. The CEO hired us to provide the company with a "kick in the pants" to the organization and be catalysts for growth.
Like me, Denise, a fractional executive, was hired for a four-month stint to help jump-start revenue growth in a B2B industrial company. I observed some best practices for leading a sales team during an interim period and picked up seven helpful pieces of advice.
Denise had worked in various industries and had a successful career at the frontline selling products from tacos to technology. Having sold hundreds of millions of dollars of goods and services during her thirty-year career, I took notes on our conversation because I saw value in the wisdom she shared and the actions she took.
Successful sales folks listen – This was the most important tip she said she has used in every role. She often teaches new hires to shut up and let the customer speak so that they can hear their pain. A competent salesperson learns more by allowing the customer to talk than by trying to sell.
Successful sales folks understand how their products solve problems – This was another critical issue that she emphasized—getting her troops to realize that they weren't selling a product but solving a customer's problem. This shift from transactional selling to solution selling is significant. If your product saves time, labor, and effort, don't get hung up talking about features - talk about the results and why you are offering a better way. Buyers want to easily be able to convey stories that explain why they made decisions. Help them tell those stories.
Successful sales folks build trust before they sell – If you try to make a sale in the first few minutes, days, or even months of relationship building, you'll fail. Customers buy from people they trust because they want to have confidence in their decision-making. Trust takes an investment of time. You can reap what you didn't plant six months ago.
Successful sales folks are persistent - Anyone who sells knows that NO means they haven't said YES, yet. But follow up is vital to being able to close a sale ultimately. Persistence is in the DNA of great salespeople who never give up hope. But, there is a big difference between being persistent and annoying. Successful salespeople know the difference.
Successful sales folks focus on being organized – Without the discipline of notetaking, how can you remember your conversations? Whether you use a CRM or notecards, active salespeople can easily find data they need about individuals to help them personalize a message. The details you track help reinforce to a buyer that you were listening.
Successful sales folks understand digital realities – Today, most customers have most of the information they need before they engage. Online content is so readily available that the buyer knows more about your product or service before you have connected. They have visited your website, watched your explainer videos, and download eBooks or whitepapers. Smart salespeople live with an awareness of digital reality and don't act like it's 1992.
Successful sales folks understand that to sell is human – Acknowledging Daniel Pinks great book, great salespeople understand how vital it is to show up as a human being, not a salesperson matter. Great sales folks act friendly and don't try to bulldoze their way to short-term revenue. All sales are H2H (human to human), and smart salespeople never forget it.
How many of these skills are core to your sales organization?
Jeff Slater is The Chief Listening Officer at The Marketing Sage, a fractional marketing consultancy. He has decades of marketing experience, having had responsibility for budgets ranging from $30 to 30 million dollars.
You can set up a time to chat with Jeff about your marketing challenges using his calendar. Or, email him at jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call him at 919 720 0995.