The best sales people have developed proven methods that help them discover a customer’s current needs. They are so comfortable with their technique that they often reject any refinement, even though they realize that an improvement could make them even more effective. If the purpose is to win a transaction, then devotion to an existing discovery process may be enough. But if the objective is to consistently earn a customer’s business, to earn that customer’s …
When I served in senior leadership roles, it was a constant struggle to break away from current challenges so I could focus on the future. Everyday problems relentlessly seek to attract your attention, and it’s easier to deal with these – you’ve seen them all before. Contemplating what’s next for your business is the bigger challenge, and a great opportunity. It forces you to get your head up, to look outward and to assess the …
Customers react to proposed solutions in one of three ways, and they will progress in a positive direction, from one level of commitment to another, when effectively guided by the salesperson. Meetings are held every day to discuss changes that should be made in a business, but often never are. Your proposed solution will be reviewed in one of these meetings, and a decision will be made to accept your proposal only if the customer …
Being named as leader doesn’t make you one. Leadership is earned from those you seek to lead. For you to be successful as a leader, they must choose to follow you. Your team will make this choice by judging your truthfulness, your authenticity. The first step you take to establish your leadership identity creates a lasting impression that defines your potential as a leader. Before you can lead others, you must know yourself well, and …
These words were the first I heard when I began to help my dad with projects around our home. Every time I begin a new initiative, they come back to me. When an organization is transforming their selling strategy to one focused on customer-partnering, the implementation is more successful if the new process is “piloted” prior to full scale launch. Successful sales people will resist a change away from a selling process that has worked …
Leaders are change agents. The most effective leaders drive change through coaching that inspires action. It’s almost impossible to overstate the role that coaching plays in transforming behavior. You could be a sales leader seeking to change your company’s selling process. Or, perhaps you are an Operations leader trying to improve a production process. Or, maybe you are a senior leader striving to elevate initiative and employee engagement to improve company performance. You will not …
A recent blog addressed authenticity as the enabler of leadership. Several of you asked how to take the next step in leadership – how do you inspire action in your team? Learning how to inspire is part of mastering leadership. Some leaders do it well while others can’t seem to make it happen. The most inspirational leaders share a common process. They all ask “why” something should be done before they explain what must be done and …
Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) is the measurement of multiple customer related metrics (like Customer Lifetime Value) to help you create, cultivate and continuously improve your customer relationships. It enables the synchronizing of all business functions to focus on producing strategic value for customers, creating enduring relationships that increase sales and profitability. Pursuing CLM offers 3 key benefits. The overall scope of a CLM program encompasses all functions or departments of an organization, driving the coordination of …
In 2013, the Edelman Trust Barometer documented that only 18% of people reported that they trusted business leaders to tell the truth. That same year, Gallop polled 180 million employees and reported that only 13% of them are engaged at work. With confidence and morale so low, one attribute is most often mentioned as the primary reason that employees respect their leader. Authenticity enables leadership. But it can also disable it. How is that possible? …
In this age of limited time and unlimited access to information, many customers specify their preference of working with a salesperson whose expertise and insight help clarify their needs. What 3 factors define a productive sales experience for these customers? An effective sales discovery process will uncover a customer’s goals, but the way this process is experienced by the customer is the key to making it productive for both parties in the transaction. Sales people …