By Frank Costantino, Managing Partner
The “insider” is defined as a person within a group or organization, especially someone privy to information unavailable to others. So, it’s not surprising that the goal of every sales person on your team is to be that insider: the person privy to information about his/her clients; the person with executive access; the person most likely to over-achieve. These are the people on your team that make your job, as the sales leader, the most successful and rewarding.
Let’s take a look inside the making of this high-end, strategic sales team. Chances are high that you did not hire a team that demonstrates the qualities and skills of a strategic sales person. You did, however, hire or inherit a team of people that possess the aptitude, attitude and vision to rise to the top. Now the hard work: leading, training and preparing your team to take the leap, differentiate themselves and truly engage with clients at a strategic level.
Your curriculum should include:
Relationship Assessment
Value Creation Strategy
Assessing the Opportunity
Uncovering Decision Process, & Criteria
Creating Unique Business Value
Establishing "inside" position
Good, but it is also critical to include the clients’ operating reality of what strategic means to them. Here are a few ideas that should help your team understand the client (executive) perspective:
The executive will “test” your salespeople. Once inside an executive’s office, you have maybe five minutes to show that you can add value to the discussion and that executives business.
Demonstrate that you have done your homework
Understand key business issues facing that executive
Be prepared with your relevant questions
LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND
The executive’s view of how your salesperson conducts a meeting. It’s not easy to know this prior to establishing a relationship, but studies show that most often, executives zero in on:
How well your sales people demonstrate accountability and responsibility
Show they have the ability to understand the client’s business goals and challenges
High value is also placed on salespersons behaviors, like listening before proposing a solution and overall communication skills.
Earning the executive’s trust and credibility. This is not accomplished during the first meeting. Credibility is built over time. What are the important factors executives consider when stamping “credible resource” on your sales person?
A sales person’s ability to organize resources from within their organization
Responsiveness to your client’s requests
Willingness to step up to be accountable for their given tasks and results
Meeting the executive’s expectations. Over time, you will have achieved your objective and you will be considered that “trusted advisor/partner” within your client’s executive team. Well done! Now that accomplishment comes with expectations:
Your commitment and collaborative relationship
Their dependency on you and your organization creates the need for them to be an “insider” on your executive team
Butler Street's Strategic Selling training course is designed to teach sales representatives and coach sales managers how to differentiate themselves by bringing true value to the client. Participants learn how to truly dig deep into an opportunity to: assess the opportunity; develop an in-depth understanding of the customers’ needs and bring the required value to be considered an “insider”. Strategic Selling positions sales executives to deliver more profitable and sustainable relationships while attaining “trusted advisor” status with clients. Click CONTACT and let’s start the conversation.