If like me, you have been managing a Sales Team, then you are always trying to identify the next Sales Leader in the team and also looking at how you can duplicate him? So, what does a Sales Leader do that makes him or her different from the others?
And if you are a Sales Professional do you know if you are a true Sales Leader? Sales Leaders separate themselves from the rest of the pack regardless of circumstance. Are you one of them?
I have spent 35 years in Sales in industries as varied as Steel, Holiday Timeshares and the last 22 years in Technology Sales. And I have had the benefit of a global Sales team spread across the US, Europe and India, which has allowed me to observe some patterns that the top performers always seem to share! This helped me to put them into categories and suitably assign roles, which made our sales efforts successful!
Here are the traits or characteristics that I have noted that indicate a Sales Leader:
1. Total ownership and achievement orientation:
Your success depends on you and you must achieve the commitment given. The best Sales Leaders above all else feel that they have to meet their goals without fail. They will not give excuses and will see their targets with a total ownership mindset. This is their attitude and they feel that they can control anything that happens – it may not be their fault but it is their responsibility.
The Sales Leader for example will not complain that the right contact within their prospect resigned and hence the sale will be delayed – they would have planned around it! In the research, psychologists call this the internal locus of control. And you know what they found? Having an internal locus of control correlates with success at work, higher income, and greater health outcomes. This is the hardest to coach as it is so deeply rooted in one’s personality. You must own everything.
2. The Sales Leader always finds a “way”:
The successful Sales Leader is one who when put in a tough situation still finds the best way forward. He does not freeze or choke – he is resourceful and is quick to think on his feet! His skills in being able to put himself in the customer’s shoes (Perception and Emotional Awareness), help to keep him a step ahead of the competition. He does not waste time in complaining about how hard his position is – he simply assesses his strengths and resources and makes something happen. The best sales people, often faced with difficult situations and time pressures, having to negotiate seemingly arbitrary obstacles armed with only their wits and their phones almost always figure it out. Resourcefulness is as much a mindset as it is a skill and it helps them to find multiple alternative routes to the desired destination.
3. The Sales Leader is an expert:
The basic curiosity and analytical thinking of a Sales Leader leads him to understand his own product, his customers’ needs and the best solution to propose. To be a leader in any area, one needs the confidence and this comes when you have the knowledge and the experience. So gaining industry knowledge and minute details about the products they are selling should be the top priority for any aspiring salesperson.
4. The best salespeople help others:
Empathy comes with Emotional awareness and is the corner stone of anyone who becomes a Leader in whatever field they are in. It is no different for a Sales Leader. The Sales Leader regularly passes their knowledge on to less experienced sales people with no expectation of anything in return. However, by this act, they are also re-learning and picking up more knowledge, which in turn builds their confidence!
5. The Sales Leader does not let grass grow under his feet:
The best salespeople don’t move recklessly, but they do have a sense of urgency. One of the most frustrating and frankly surprising thing I have encountered is how slow some people are to get back to the customer on some clarification. A Sales Leader must be focused and have their priorities very clear!
In summary, the Sales Leader is focused, takes complete ownership of his responsibility, and is constantly learning and planning! Another thing, they are probably also the ones who have more fun at work!
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