When you think of a sales professional, do you think of a leader or a follower? Ideally, sales professionals are supposed to be leaders – acting with purpose and intent; they lead with intention and set an example for others to follow. They also should be able to communicate clearly, sincerely, passionately, and with excitement so that their audience becomes fully engaged in the conversation and equally excited about opportunities presented.
Are your sales reps leaders, or are they empty suits who just spiel off a stream of buzzwords, sales jargon, and canned pitches? Of course, if that’s all you’re giving them, then that could be part of the problem. Do you encourage creativity, or do you force everyone to play by the book and read off an empty and dead script?
You won’t be able to accelerate sales performance if you’re limiting your sales team, or if you’re not hiring the right talent. A good sales professional needs to be able to adapt and work with the sales script and adjust to changes in the conversation on the fly. They also need to be able to speak with meaning, intention, and understanding. How can they deliver value to their prospects if they are relating to them and talking to them on a human level?
It’s All About Relationships
The sales landscape is changing, and authenticity is becoming more important in an age where people are bombarded with advertisements and sales communications. Customers want to buy from brands that they can trust and have some kind of relationship with. This is why your sales reps must be leaders in the industry, ready to adapt to new trends and create genuine relationships with their prospects so that they can deliver a measurable amount of value at all times.
How can you tell if your sales reps are just empty suits (lack substance)?
- They use empty words that don’t relate at all to the prospect and their problems
- They lack sincerity and are too busy worrying about meeting quotas and getting commissions
- They are overbearing and pushy and don’t listen to the prospect’s challenges or concerns
A sales professional who is just an empty suit will fail to engage with prospects in a way that will encourage them to share their problems. Ideally, you want to get the prospect to open up and communicate in a way that shows they trust the rep and are willing to create a relationship.
From there, a true sales leader will empathize with those concerns and problems and offer solutions. They use their knowledge and tools to offer the prospect an enticing value proposition that will capture their interest and keep them engaged.
A true professional also knows that it takes time and work to build up these relationships. They won’t get frustrated or deterred, and simply let a potential lead drop because they don’t think it’s worth it. Are you confident that your sales team is made up of true sales leaders? If not, then it’s time to rethink you’re hiring strategy or possibly even roll out some valuable training.
REF Altitude Branding.
