YourSalesManagementGuru by Ken Thoreson, Acumen Management Group
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Inspire Sales Confidence
During my many years of sales management -- with the past 14 of being spent as a consultant to hundreds of firms -- the hardest element I see executives and sales managers struggle with is inspiring sales confidence.
What do I mean by this? Obviously, "A" players have the knowledge, ego and mental toughness to make sales happen. Unfortunately, most organizations never have enough of this kind of salespeople. Therefore, sales leadership must coach salespeople and build systems to assist "B" and "C" salespeople to achieve results.
But many times, this is not enough to elevate performance to the desired levels. Inspiring sales confidence is the extra piece that also needs to be worked on.
Sales confidence is that "inner voice" that tells a person that they are good, they are winners and they can succeed. This kind of confidence helps make a good first-call impression, and that leads to the prospect building the trust and confidence they must have in the salesperson to transact a business opportunity. It also gives the salesperson the swagger to think clearly, communicate precisely and close effectively.
In every conversation, sales management must learn to stoke the positives. Let the salesperson know you are counting on them to make it happen. And when they offer strategy recommendations during a sales opportunity, you must tell them that it was the right idea/tactic and that you appreciate their creativity, energy, persistence, et cetera. Building even the little reinforcements into your daily conversations and e-mail correspondence can go a long way toward working with your team on creating a culture of high performance.
During the next two months, focus on stoking the positives for each person on your team, and you will be amazed at the body language and attitude of each person on your team.
What are your tips on inspiring sales confidence?
Posted by Ken Thoreson on June 24, 2013