Collecting WINS Blog
Why is it so Hard to Hire Great Salespeople?
To answer this question, you have to understand three parts of the equation. The first part has to do with the natural optimism of hiring managers. The second has to do with the relatively weak pool of candidates hiring managers have to choose from. And, the third has to do with hiring processes that don’t account for parts one and two. Here are some stats to consider: Natural Optimism: 94% of sales managers are [...]
Filling Your Sales Pipeline
As Growth Multipliers -- salespeople who compete and win as servant leaders -- we make our living by engaging ready buyers in successful buying decisions. But, not every buyer in our sales territory or named account list is ready to buy when we’re ready to sell. Even the best restaurant in town will find it hard to sell food to patrons who have just eaten. Every restaurant patron must eat, but not every restaurant [...]
Learn to Lead Successful Buying Relationships: Part 3
Successful buying relationships are secured by mutual respect. This is the third and final element required to lead a successful buying relationship. In Parts One and Two of this series, we examined the roles of understanding and trust in leading successful buying relationships. It’s common to assume that these two elements naturally lead to the third essential factor – respect. When buyers feel like you understand their problem or WIN (wants, impacts, needs), and [...]
Learn to Lead Successful Buying Relationships: Part 2
Ask any thoughtful salesperson what the most important element is when helping people buy, and chances are you’ll hear “Trust” without hesitation. They are right in believing that trust is essential, but as we explored in Part One of this series, trust isn’t earned until the buyer and servant leader develop a mutual understanding of the real problem(s) and solution(s) each brings to the table. Part One of this series focused on understanding as [...]
Learn to Lead Successful Buying Relationships: Part 1
Successful buying decisions come from leading successful buying relationships. These relationships require participation and collaboration from all sides of the deal and are built from the ground up upon a foundation of mutual understanding, trust, and respect. People buy from people they respect, respect people they trust and trust people they understand. Each of these three elements supports the other. If one is missing, or if the quality and integrity of one becomes compromised, [...]
Sales Framework: A Leadership Investment For Growth
Over the years of developing and executing roughly one hundred different sales and business development organizations, I’ve noticed definite success and failure patterns. One success pattern I’ve noticed for CEOs who established organizations that continually multiplied growth is the expectations they DID NOT place upon their Sales VP when they are hired or promoted into the role. I’ll let the cat out of the bag early. Sales leaders and CEOs that operate together on [...]