In our last blog Who is A Successful Sales Leader , we talked about the importance of “Human Skills” in building a Sales Leader. And to recap, here are the “Human Traits” that I would like to see in a Sales Leader:
– Ability to communicate not only though verbal and written communication but very importantly through body language!
– High on Emotional Awareness.
– Depth of Perception.
– Own and be accountable.
Sales Cycle Process :
Let us now see how these traits can play out in your Sales Cycle/Process. So here is a typical Sales Cycle:
Start with setting your goals – for the company, team and individual.
Ensure you have a Go To Market Strategy in place – individuals are strongly recommended to do one for their areas/products/goals.
Define your Sales Process, by understanding your customers buying process
Implement your Go To Market (Ah! So easy to say!!)
Using digital tools should be an essential part of your strategy.
Identify your customer (for many companies / sales professionals you may be starting the cycle here!);
Start your sales process
Build Relationship.
Spot opportunities (if you have a good relationship you just need to ask!)
Discover needs / requirements (so important because you can use it to create a unique proposal)
Build your value proposition (remember to be unique)
Present, propose and persuade till your value proposition is accepted.
Negotiate and close deal.
Build relationship and practice account management (the hallmark of a successful Sales Leader).
Human Skills :
Now let us see which of these will be affected by the lack of “Human Skills”
Characteristics What do they mean How do they help Emotional Awareness Awareness of self Understand one’s strengths and weaknesses and learn to operate optimally. Awareness of others Recognize key elements of others characteristics and deal with them more effectively. Understanding the value of Sales in an Organization – Personal Growth Why do companies need Sales teams? Is it only for foot soldiers? Understand your own value. Communications Verbal & Non-Verbal Communication Skills Learn to recognize cues and adjust your own communication to match those. Reflective Listening A good sales leader is listening 70% of the time and talking only 30%. Listen and understand. Effective Confrontation How to say no? How to counter an argument? Without coming across as an opponent? Perception Emotional Awareness and Perception Understand where your customer is coming from? Appreciate their point of view. Add to it and build credibility. Analytical learning A good sales person offers solutions and not a product. One needs to be able to understand, analyze needs and articulate solutions. As we can see almost every stage of the Sales Cycle will need the Sales Leader to display “Human Skills”! A Sales Professional who understands the importance of these skills and uses them effectively will definitely be a Sales Leader!
EmergWay Academy has a unique Sales Leadership Training Program that focuses on building the “human skills” which will allow a sales professional to become a sales leader. You can visit www.emergway.com to learn more or contact me at Senthil.Kumar@emergway.com