SALES & MARKETING the ability to link the economic value of your company’s solutions to operational results. Many salespeople with strong technical backgrounds lack the competency or desire to integrate the non-technical value messaging into their sales process. Unfortunately, when the aptitude for “business-drivers” is lacking, a salesperson will simply pass along their proposals to the technical champion, hoping they will be successful at gaining the necessary internal approvals.
FEARLESSNESS A successful salesperson must be fearless. They must be comfortable executing any sales process that requires a complex, multi-stakeholder selling strategy. Regardless of training, many salespeople still lack the assertiveness and conflict management necessary to execute. Typically, most salespeople can perform well in training but then falter when executing in the field. When questioned by their managers about their lack of performance, they justify non-action with a lack of time or a fear of overstepping and upsetting their main contact. Effective salespeople are able to overcome their fear and break out of their comfort zone. They are willing to ask the tough questions, negotiate for high-level access and maintain control of the sales process.
ENGAGING A successful salesperson must have an engaging personality, not to be confused with the “gift of gab” or being a “presentation guru.” An engaging salesperson is one with the ability to draw others into a dialogue with a steady two-way flow of information. An engaging salesperson will have a strategy for asking guided questions and “pivoting” appropriately to the other person’s answers regardless of
whether the meeting is with a lower-level manager, director, VP, or a member of the C-suite. A salesperson that lacks this ability will tend to lull their prospect into a passive listening mode while they present features, benefits and pricing. A non-engaging salesperson will come away from a sales call feeling confident that they’ve made a strong case and that they were well received as a result of their knowledge. Conversely, a strong salesperson with an engaging communication style will exit every meeting with detailed information uncovered during the meeting including a well-defined set of next steps and action items. The better approach to finding sales professionals who will be successful is to reconsider the non-negotiable traits. The
four traits listed above – Coachability, Aptitude, Fearlessness, and Engagement – are vital when recruiting new salespeople if we are to break the frustrating and tiresome six-month cycle of hiring and firing. Venator Sales Group is a Sales Consulting, Optimization, & Training firm with a laserfocus on improving every aspect of a client’s sales culture and sales performance. Founded over a decade ago by high-performing, professional sales practitioners, Venator combines a strategic sales management approach with real-world understanding of the factors necessary for success in today’s selling environment. Venator helps companies turn around inconsistent or lackluster sales performance by infusing a sales culture based on accountability, compliance, and critical thinking.
WOR KIN G WITH O UR C U STOMER S D URI NG EVERY STEP OF T HE PR OC ESS Custom Engineering Integration Solutions Design & Engineering Vaporizer Manufacturing Cryogenic and Non-Cryogenic Custom Fabrication Sales & Field Service from Coast to Coast
CONTACT US TODAY LETS DISCUSS HOW WE CAN HELP
Winter 2021 • 93