In this video, we examine the importance of understanding the sales process and customer focused selling.

We discuss times when YOU were sold. What was the experience like? What was different about a good experience when being sold too compared to a bad experience?

We also look at Today’s competitive business world and its ever-changing factors.

• Customers
  • Customers are busier than ever
  • You have to prove yourself to customers
  • Customers have an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality
  • They are risk averse and avoid challenges
• Economy
  • The economy is always a factor in the business of selling
• Politics
  • Politics affects businesses whether we like to think so or not.
  • When government gets involved more heavily in certain sectors (healthcare) companies are affected
• Technology
  • Email and smartphones have changed the way we do business
  • Social media adds awareness and transparency
  • Product reviews are available on demand

Remember to always keep your focus on the customer and use a “what’s in it for me” point of view.

Keeping the Focus on the Customer

Optional Project: Identify two or three specific actions you could take, as salespeople, to implement these “golden rules” with your prospects.

The Golden Rules of The Sales Process

• Use a WIIFM Point of View (What’s In It For Me?)
• Gain Permission to Advance
• Get the Customer to Buy into the Decision

 

Happy Selling!

 

Related Article:

• 5 Steps To Understanding The Sales Cycle

 

Related Blog & Video:

• Understanding Each Phase of The Customer Buying Cycle

 

Happy Selling!

The Sales Coaching Institute: salescoach.us

Sales teams in most organizations have always been composed of individual people, that have worked on their own within a team unit to compete with each other to get the highest number of sales. Times are changing and businesses are rethinking their strategies in order to enrich how their services or goods are represented in the marketplace.

While sales people can perform well if they work alone, they can become much more productive if they are paired into groups as an actual team. The ultimate goal is productivity and customer satisfaction, not which salesperson can outdo the other. Pairing salespeople into groups will blend their individual unique skills to fully enhance their abilities to create valuable solutions by understanding customer needs and presenting attractive solutions to customers problems. Surprisingly, this approach works much more than it fails.

 

Below are 7 secrets of a happy sales team

 

Make Sure Your Team is Complementary

When you are grouping your sales teams together, make sure that their skills complement each other. If all of your team members have product knowledge, but no social skills, then you are going to have a problem. Creating a dynamic team where all members have unique skills will keep the team harmonious and productive.

 

Leader Involvement

If sales teams are working to pitch products or services relentlessly, while their leader is hiding in an office drinking a cappuccino on a regular basis, then the sales team probably won’t be receptive. Leaders have to lead by coaching and facilitating to inspire their teams. If a sales team knows that their leader is willing to pitch in, then they will be much happier overall.

Related Article:

Sales Leadership: 6 Steps To Becoming An Effective Sales Leader

 

Communication & Collaboration

For a sales team to be effective, they have to respect each other. The idea is to blend their strengths to create a powerful sales force. Communicating openly and collaborating together is essential if businesses expect their sales teams to excel.

Related Articles:

Effective Communication Skills For Sales Professionals

How To Brainstorm With a Group

 

Break the Competitive Barriers

Many companies have contests where their sales staff members compete against each other on sales performance. This can cause real friction within the sales team, if those at the bottom feel inadequate. This type of scenario does not give sales staff incentives to work as a team, because then they would be hurting their own position. Shifting the main focus to overall team performance will keep sales teams much happier.

 

Allow Sales Staff to Have a Voice

Sales personnel’s input could be valuable to improving overall sales productivity. Team member engagement boosts morale, to where they feel like they are valuable. People who feel valued perform much better than those who don’t, and they are much happier with their jobs.

 

Recognition Goes a Long Way

Everyone wants to be patted on the back for their achievements. It’s human nature. Recognizing your sales staff members for good performances will keep them happy and inspire them to continue to do a great job. If they feel like they aren’t getting any recognition at all, then they will probably not be as productive.

 

Advancement

If sales team members feel like they have the opportunity to improve their careers through coaching, supervising, or in other positions, then they will be much more focused and driven, knowing that they have a goal to work towards. If their position has no opportunity for advancement, then they may end up feeling as if they are trapped in the position. Rewarding sales members for their efforts by promoting from within will keep their morale elevated.

 

Keeping a sales team happy isn’t hard to do, but the methods that actually work will vary from company to company. It really just depends on what resources each individual company has. However, even though they may be implemented differently, the things that keep sales teams happy are universal. Learn the secrets of a happy sales team and watch your productivity and profits soar.

Learn the secrets of a happy sales team and watch your productivity and profits soar.

A great sales team…

• Compliments Each Other
• Has A Great Leader
• Communicates Effectively
• Does Not Compete Against Itself
• Is Listened To
• Is Recognized
• Has Opportunities To Advance

 

Related Articles:

Sales Recruiting: How To Hire & Retain A Players To Drive Revenue For Your Sales Team

5 Things To Consider Before Investing In A Sales Team

5 Sales Talent Recruitment Strategies To Build A Sales Dream Team

 

Doug Dvorak is a certified speaking professional and sales coach that motivates teams and individuals across the nation. Team building programs and keynotes are available upon request.

Finding that individual who embodies the passion and drive you are seeking can be difficult. So, how can you weed out those who will eventually pull your team down and find the winning attributes of a sales champion? Here are five answers to everyday sales challenges and to help you avoid them.

1. Effective Recruitment Strategies

The first challenge anyone faces in sales management is the effective recruitment and training of new employees. There is a huge difference between someone who is looking for a sales job because they think they might be good at it and someone who has a passion for selling. Find the person who shares the same enthusiasm that you do. Remember to pay and reward them well. You won’t be sorry. Consider working with The Sales Coaching Institutes sales recruitment specialists to help you hire a sales dream team

Related Article: How To Hire And Retain A Players To Drive Revenue For Your Sales Team

Related Article: 5 Sales Talent Recruitment Strategies to Build a Sales Dream Team

2. Creating Structure that Produces Results

The second challenge many hiring and sales managers encounter is not creating a structure and regular measures for achieving accountability. Just leaving your sales personnel to find ways to bring in new customers is a sure way to be surrounded by unmotivated and unsuccessful people. Keep your sales force engaged and productive with manageable goals. Whether it’s monthly meetings, daily pep talks or emailed product updates, formulate the best strategies to keep your sales force engaged and producing results. Take an active rather than a passive role in ensuring your employees have the best tools to achieve strong results.

3. Recognition Is Crucial

The third challenge involves the all-important task of recognizing a sales superstar. Making your employees feel valued and appreciated is one of the strongest reinforcing behaviors you can include in your management portfolio. An employee who is recognized and rewarded is a salesperson who will continue to produce. There are many ways to make employees feel like they’ve done a great job. Employee lunches and gift cards to local favorites are just a few ways to reward your staff. This type of motivation is infectious, and other employees will want to enjoy the same success as their co-worker.

4. Effective Compensation Gets Results

Your fourth challenge is deciding how to formulate a pay structure that works for you. Compensation plays a large role in driving behavior within your sales team. Will you pay your sales force with a base pay along with commission, salary alone or completely commission? The Sales Coaching Institute offers great advice and programs dedicated to Sales Compensation Strategies that can help you develop sales compensation programs that will boost morale and sales. Strong salespeople often prefer commission only as they determine their salary based on their performance. If your salesforce is happy with just a salary and you do not see results, you will quickly learn that the pay structure is not working for you. Find a plan that motivates employees and produces results.

5. The Importance of a Cohesive Team

While your sales employees are the individuals engaging your customers and bringing in new clients, they are only part of your business goals. Your fifth and ultimate challenge is bringing the corporate team together in a way that produces cohesive results. When your marketing department, sales force and management shares effective strategies and implements successful business models, the end result is a selling strategy that works. Consider using team building strategies or working with a team building specialist to bring your team closer together. Connected and teams that respect each other produce more than individuals. Everyone has something unique they can bring to the table and they need to know how to communicate with one another effectively to produce results. Doug Dvorak is a team building specialist, view some of this team building programs here http://www.dougdvorak.com/keynotes.

Related Article: Doing More With Sales Teams

Use the resources provided above and the above 5 answers to avoid everyday sales challenges to help your sales team reach the next level of success.

Related Article: 5 Things To Consider Before Investing In A Sales Team

Most people focus on their strengths in leadership because it allows them to help others and create an efficient team. However, when you overuse those strengths, they can start to become weaknesses, creating problems like micromanaging. Therefore, it’s important for managers and other leaders to understand which strengths can turn into weaknesses and how to prevent this from happening.

Constantly Stress Results

Results are a necessary aspect of sales, but when you focus primarily on results and relentlessly try to maximize output or increase production, you may start micromanaging your team. Micromanagement is where you start to become obsessed with minute details, stand over the person, or tell them what to do/how to do it. This can undermine operations and reduce morale. It’s necessary to focus on results, but it’s also important to balance goal orientation and direction by delegating tasks appropriately.

Too Much Humor/Wit

Humor and wit are excellent ways to lighten up a stressful situation and to start connecting with your team or group. You must have a strong sense of social awareness and self to help you understand when humor is an appropriate motivator. Otherwise, your levity may make others feel dumb or that they don’t need to be serious. Overusing your humorous side can also lead your team to believe that you don’t take your job seriously or don’t take them seriously.

Always Requesting a Consensus

The term consensus means to bring others into the decision-making process. This leadership tactic works well and creates a bond between management and employee. However, it can be a time-consuming problem in some situations. It’s best to use the consensus technique when you have a serious decision that will affect everyone. Otherwise, choosing a more consultative approach is usually best. When consensus is necessary, adopt a strategy that allows everyone to voice their opinion without taking too much time away from sales and other obligations.

These are just a few examples, but most other sales leadership strengths can create weakness in an organization when overused. A great sales leader knows how to balance their leadership strengths and uses them at the right time when they have the largest and most beneficial impact on their team. Learning how to balance your leadership strategies is one of the best ways to improve your overall leadership skills. You already know what your leadership strengths are, you just need to know how to balance them and you can improve you leadership abilities.

 

Related Article: 6 Steps To Becoming an Effective Sales Leader