I was recently asked by a colleague to share my top three insights to help younger, less experienced sellers be successful in their careers. I love working with young new sales pros because they are eager to “get producing” as quickly as possible, they usually have few or no bad habits to “unlearn.” And while they may initially lack experience and business acumen, they make up for this in their willingness to put new ideas into action. And action ultimately drives results … I’ve seen newbie reps outsell their more seasoned counterparts who let their egos prevent them from trying something different.
As for the ones who are “hitting the ball out of the park” early in their career, here’s what they have in common…
1. Their quest for knowledge. They understand that “how you sell” has far more impact on sales success that “what you sell.” They continuously invest in their own professional development and view training as an opportunity, not an annoyance keeping them from their customers. They proactively seek mentorship, and reflect on what works and what doesn’t in terms of their own sales approach.
2. Their intent. They are not just focused on closing the sale. Their intent is to contribute to their customer’s success. As a result of this mindset they proactively look for the customers who will benefit from their services. And they do their homework so they can speak intelligently about why this specific customer would benefit from having a sales conversation. The sale – and usually a bigger one – is the output.
3. Their curiosity. They are genuinely curious about the customer and his / her business which means they “know” who they are talking to, and they prepare questions that are valuable to both the customer and the sales pro. They take time to understand what’s important from the customer’s perspective and they listen – to the customer’s words and to the implication of these words. So when they respond, their recommendations are ruthlessly relevant.
If you are relatively new to sales, or are a sales leader with a young team, I’d love to get your thoughts – write a comment below …
Jill Harrington masterfully shifts the thinking and actions of sales pros and business owners so they achieve bigger sales results, faster, in highly competitive markets. A respected sales expert, speaker, and trainer, she instills the skills and confidence required to get the attention, time and long-term business of today’s busy buyer.
"I can honestly say I learned more in 3 days than I had in 3 years of Business School! You put some confidence behind the potential and I can't thank you enough." Multimedia Advertising Consultant "Jill, you are truly making a difference in people's careers. I am sure you hear this all the time, but I have to tell you that you are brilliant at your profession. As an attorney, I have been subjected to countless hours of "training," and I can honestly say that your course was the most beneficial and enjoyable that I have ever taken... you have truly changed my perception of selling. Thanks for everything." Account Executive, "The combination of sales training, reinforcement clinics, coaching initiatives, coupled with Jill's contribution as a speaker at our national sales and marketing conferences, has raised the bar within our team in terms of how we look at our sales efforts. We have moved away from being task oriented sales people to becoming a strategic sales team. The sales planning and support tools were critical in the continuance of our learning and application of training after the sessions were completed. Overall, we became a better sales force as a result of this partnership." Managing Director of Sales, "Jill, I wanted to drop you a quick thank you note regarding the most recent CSP training. I have been getting glowing comments on how fantastic the training was and also on how wonderful the instructor was. Everyone I have spoken to regarding the training felt it was a valuable use of their time and that it would definitely help them advance their sales cycles. Thanks again for all of your dedication in making this program a success." Senior Director Sales North America, "Jill is an inspiration – her knowledge, style, energy and enthusiasm should be bottled and sold. By far the best sales training that I’ve ever been through, and I’ve done the Xerox sales training!!" National Account Manager, "Jill, just wanted to reiterate that the SalesSHIFT presentation that you presented today at the SITE Education day was absolutely fabulous and key to sales success. The topic, message and delivery were excellent! The message was simple yet so powerful that I walked away inspired, motivated and ready to implement the directives from the presentation. In fact, I'm following through on revisiting a client conversation to fully understand their point of view based on my learnings at your presentation... Thank you for delivering a strategic and vital sales message that is critical to the success of individuals and businesses.' Vice President, Operations, Canada, "I was less than enthusiastic to attend yet another 'sales training', as this was probably the 15th throughout my career. Jill Harrington’s qualities as a business person, a communicator and seasoned sales leader quickly turned things around for me. Without question, one of the best trainers I’ve ever met." Senior Account Manager "Jill is rock solid in her delivery and an expert in her field. The content is not only educational but extremely entertaining as well. If you are interested in improving sales in your organization, you owe it to yourself and your company to talk with Jill." Account Executive, "Jill has worked with our Sales and Service teams with fantastic results each and every time. Jill presents passionately, professionally and with great clarity. Her post-training follow up is exemplary and ensures that we get phenomenal value from each experience." Vice President, "Thank you again for taking the remainder of our team through the CSP training. Changing an individual’s process in a profession like ours is only possible when you gain absolute buy-in to the concept and you develop a deep rooted belief in the rep that applying this process will prove success in every outcome... Your amazing ability to send seven people back to me that were wholly committed to this program makes my job easier."
Retail Advertising Manager, "What’s changed for me is that for every important client meeting, I review my notes from your training just to remind me to always put myself in the clients shoes and to always focus on what is important to them so that I can do my best to satisfy their requirements…so far it has paid off more than I could have ever imagined. I’ve been selling in various industries for 16 years now…I only now feel like a true professional! Thank you so much…no BS, I truly attribute much of my recent success to your training!" Business Development Manager, |
Jill I would add a fourth thought. Willingness to learn and to try new things. Everyone is looking for the seasoned veteran who has “the book”. The challenge with them is that if “the book” does not move, they often have no fall back position. The new business development skills are not there and there is not a willingness to learn and try. The result is often separation and lost time in the market place. Churn helps no one. Be willing to invest in young talent and it will pay dividends.