How we Sell is More Important Than What We Sell Today
I recently presented at the popular Whizard Summit in Bolder Colorado and share how selling has evolved in the past two years.
In my opening remarks I shared I recently delivered a keynote for an association for C-suite leaders. There were 160 CEOs, CFOs and other senior leaders in attendance focused on strategically adapting in the post pandemic new normal.
When I speak at events, I prefer to make the presentations interactive to create engagement while improving retention. I opened the session with a question:
How many leaders in attendance feel, with 100% certainty their sales teams have the right sales structure, process, systems, beliefs and skills to deliver this years’ sales plan?
Not one arm was raised, so I changed the question.
How many leaders feel with 75% certainty their sales teams have the sales effectiveness to deliver this years’ sales plan?
This time about ten arms were raised.
How many leaders feel with 50% certainty their sales teams have the sales effectiveness to deliver this years’ sales plan?
Now about half the room have their arms raised.
When CSO Insights surveyed sales leaders, they found only 16% felt their sales teams have the right sales skills to effectively deliver to their sales plans.
Working with clients I also observe similar findings, particularly with building and supply leaders driving to increase sales more than 10% year of over year.
Recognizing less than 50% of most sales teams have not received any formal sales skills training we often confirm specific sales skills gaps when we assess the sales teams’ current state of sales effectiveness.
Common skills gap we see in building and supply sales teams include:
- Discovery and qualifying skills
- Prospecting skills
- Consultative Selling
- Value Selling
- Closing
- Negotiations
When we conduct voice of the customer research for our clients, they also confirm common sales skills gaps.
- Listening skills
- Talking too much
- Pitching too early
- Negotiations feels like win-lose
- Poor or no business acumen
One of the CEOs in attendance asked a common question I hear today.
Why is it so hard for my salespeople to book meetings with customers today?
I could tell from the expressions in the audience my response surprised them…
Because too many salespeople are untrained and are behaving badly!
What do our buyers want and need today?
They want business consultants masquerading as salespeople.
Buyers want salespeople who have industry insights and share things not found on their websites. Buyers want and need sales reps to evolve into trusted advisors.
What skills do top performing trusted advisor salespeople have in common?
- The will to sell
- High figure it out factor
- Resilient
- Comfort talking about money
- Need to be respected is greater than need to be liked
- Business acumen
- They speak the language of their customers
We closed the keynote sharing how sales roles are evolving.
Hunters – these salespeople are constantly searching for net new customers and closing their business.
Farmers– this highly skilled role is singularly focused on gaining a greater share of wallet with our key accounts.
Fishermen – this new sales role is in response to digital marketing and social selling. The focus of the fishermen is to reel in those current and potential customers who have engaged with content marketing and or reached out for assistance. They need to be skilled at having conversations that lead to revenue and they also need strong qualifying skills and know when to cut bait.
Babysitters – a concerning role that has emerged post pandemic is this role. This individual is not selling products or services. They are transactional focused, and you often wonder if they work for you or your customers. Recognizing the assessment instrument, we use indicated 60% of once face to face salespeople struggle adapting to a virtual hybrid sales model, many have become babysitters. Their focus is “keeping the customer happy” at all costs.
Do you have the right people in the right role with the right skills for today?
Are you paying for salespeople who deliver sales and profit growth but some of your salespeople are babysitters not delivering the ROI you expect from your investment in their role?
In a recent sales effectiveness assessment, we discovered 26% of their sales team were babysitters and should not be in a sales quota carrying role.
Many leaders are struggling to find more salespeople.
Are you sure you need more salespeople?
As I challenged the senor leaders at the keynote and the leaders at the Whizzard summit, do you need more salespeople, or do you need to improve the effectiveness of your current sales team?
Over 60% of CEOs surveyed shared they have adjusted post pandemic.
When we assess the sales skills, beliefs, motivations, systems and processes today we can determine if our sales teams need training and coaching.
If you would like to be above to raise your hand high with 100% confidence your sales team will deliver the sales plan you promised your shareholders, we suggest eh following.
- Assess sales skills by role
- Capture the voice of your customers
- Invest in sales skills training and coaching to close any skills gaps you discover
If your team would like to learn more about sales effectiveness please reach out and I would be happy to help you.
