Leadership opportunities abound right now. Every individual at every level of every organization has an opportunity to step up, show courage and empathy, and lead their teams forward.
When we think of leadership opportunities, too often we look at the very top of organizations. In last week’s Sales Book Club, Sales Manager Survival Guide author David Brock talked about the role every sales professional can equally play in not just leading their organizations through crisis, but leading their customers and prospects through it as well.
“There aren’t many other roles in an organization that can impact the trajectory of not just their own company but countless others they can lead towards better, more profitable futures,” he said.
“Your buyers are looking for direct, for clarity, for something that can help them forge a positive and profitable path forward. This is an incredible moment and opportunity to create trust, credibility and leadership with and for your company and your customers.”
The weekly Sales Book Club (no reading required!) features a variety of best-selling authors sharing their insights and answering attendee questions. Dave covered a wide range of sales and leadership topics and questions, including:
- Many organizations over-rotated in the past two months: As their markets rebound, they will have a hard time re-starting with fewer resources and may have increased the length of their recovery by their cost-cutting actions. This will create opportunities for some organizations and solution providers to help these companies bridge the gap and rebound faster.
- Relationship selling is about trust and confidence: Many sellers mistake relationships as measured by time on the golf course and personal histories together. Sure those can help, but new sellers can build new relationships through honesty, integrity and a constant focus on building and delivering value. Successful relationship sellers are looking after their customer and prospect’s interest, not just their own.
- If the buyer can’t articulate the value, the budget will never be there: That’s true in the best of buying conditions, and especially now. Could your internal champion sell the value, outcome and ROI of your solution without you in the room, successfully to the decision-maker? How about to procurement?
- Reduce time to revenue and results: Find ways to articulate and quantify wins for your buyer. Perhaps the ultimate impact and outcome will develop and grow for quarters and years to come. Buyers in this moment, however, may need to understand a more immediate time to value in order to give you a yes.
- There’s a difference between “right” and “right right now”: Some buyers might not be able to purchase right now. Play the long game, continue providing value and helping them understand/solve problems. These investments will become new wins down the road.
- If social selling is better, why isn’t it working right now: You’d think that this environment would be social selling’s moment to shine. And there’s clearly a number of success stories of how sellers have maintained communication with prospects through digital channels. But more business is now happening via the phone and videoconference. We still prefer face-to-face sales interactions, even if they are (for now) largely virtual.
Join us every Thursday as we bring new best-selling authors on selling, leadership and management strategies to you. Great books, amazing authors (answering your questions), no reading required!
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