Sales Leadership Excellence: How to Recruit & Retain More High-Producing Sales Leaders
Sales Leadership Excellence: How to Recruit & Retain More High-Producing Sales Leaders
No surprise there because modern business is based on a military model. However, today's business environment is rapidly changing requiring sales managers to look at new and different approaches to leading sales organizations.
Now the question is: what will replace the old business model?
You have probably heard of the idea that everything is based on either fear or love.
If today's business model is based on fear, then the answer to what will replace it is apparent.
How the World of Business & Getting Sales Became War
In the 1500's Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince where he answered this question: Is it best to be loved or to be feared. Machiavelli wrote, "The answer is of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved." He related this to military models, providing examples of Hannibal and others.
As time progressed new business models arose. The master/apprentice paradigm was created as business owners looked for ways to increase productivity with a largely uneducated work force. Frederick Winslow Taylor, author of The Principles of Scientific Management, proposed what was a thinly disguised military model. From then on, fear was injected into the workplace in continually greater ways.
Why Your Sales Leadership Style Must Change
As work becomes less about muscle and more about intellect, sales leadership styles need to change. Today, we have an ever-increasing number of "knowledge workers."
We also have a new generation entering the sales workforce –The Millennials.
These workers have loyalty to their manager and sales team, but not to the company. Managing them through fear usually results in them voting with their feet, and finding a different type of company to work for.
Now, with baby boomers increasingly leaving the sales workforce there is a rapidly growing shortage of qualified workers. So how do you recruit more members for your sales team? And, how do you turn them into high-producing sales leaders.
How Showing Love Will Help You Recruit & Retain High-Producing Sales Leaders
Do you have employees who tell you they just love their sales job or the work they do? Do you have employees who complains loudly and constantly about how screwed up their sales job is and especially they work for including you?
Which type of employees is more productive for your sales organization?
There are many reasons why people love their jobs:
- Some people love business because of the money they make.
- Others love business because of the recognition they gain.
- Some love the security it provides for their family and themselves.
- Some love their work because it allows them to contribute in making a difference.
Once you know what causes a worker to enjoy their work, you can provide that experience they want motivate them to become a high producing sales leader. And, when people love their work, they'll tell others. This means more people will want to work for your sales organization.
However, there's a lot more to love than that. Love is unique in that it is a choice, an attitude, and an outcome all at the same time. So, regardless of a work situation or its circumstances, a person can choose to love. The trick is to create a work environment where this form of loving is at least allowed and at best, encouraged.
Here's a step in that direction…
How to Create a "Loving" Sales Organization
The famous cartoon sailor, Popeye, had a great statement: I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam." If more people followed that, there would be less fear—and more room for love in the sales organization workplace. However, most people, not having been trained otherwise, choose to serve their ego. This automatically perpetuates the fear-based Machiavellian model.
When a person adds an adjective to the words, "I am," they are declaring an ego position, which inherently has fear attached to it. It looks something like this: "I am a sales manager." If I have an ego position in being a sales manager, which I have declared by saying I'm a sales manager, then I will either consciously or unconsciously choose to protect that position. Inherent in the protection is fear, specifically fear of loss of my identity as a sales manager."
Is it different if you choose to declare, "I am loving?"
No.
The same thing happens: You need to convince others about how loving you are, even if you're not feeling particularly loving today.
The challenge for most people is declaring, "I am," and not adding anything else to the declaration. It's too amorphous. It has nothing others can relate to.
Here's the most interesting part. By stating "I am," with nothing attached you have declared your freedom. You can choose to be love unconditionally. You could also choose to hate unconditionally. It's your choice.
In today's world of knowledge workers who will job hop in a New York minute, which choice do you think would attract more qualified sales leaders to your sales organization? This is not a trick question. Support your workers and associates in knowing they are whole people doing a job, not being the job. In that awareness, fear falls away, job enjoyment and satisfaction increases and the whole company moves into the new paradigm of enhanced excellence, productivity... and loving.
Sales Leadership Excellence How to Recruit Retain More HighProducing Sales Leaders - To learn more about this author, visit Gregory Stebbins's Website.
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As a sales leader, have you ever felt like you were at war in your business?
No surprise there because modern business is based on a military model. However, today's business environment is rapidly changing requiring sales managers to look at new and different approaches to leading sales organizations.
Now the question is: what will replace the old business model?
You have probably heard of the idea that everything is based on either fear or love.
If today's business model is based on fear, then the answer to what will replace it is apparent.
How the World of Business & Getting Sales Became War
In the 1500's Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince where he answered this question: Is it best to be loved or to be feared. Machiavelli wrote, "The answer is of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved." He related this to military models, providing examples of Hannibal and others.
As time progressed new business models arose. The master/apprentice paradigm was created as business owners looked for ways to increase productivity with a largely uneducated work force. Frederick Winslow Taylor, author of The Principles of Scientific Management, proposed what was a thinly disguised military model. From then on, fear was injected into the workplace in continually greater ways.
Why Your Sales Leadership Style Must Change
As work becomes less about muscle and more about intellect, sales leadership styles need to change. Today, we have an ever-increasing number of "knowledge workers."
We also have a new generation entering the sales workforce –The Millennials.
These workers have loyalty to their manager and sales team, but not to the company. Managing them through fear usually results in them voting with their feet, and finding a different type of company to work for.
Now, with baby boomers increasingly leaving the sales workforce there is a rapidly growing shortage of qualified workers. So how do you recruit more members for your sales team? And, how do you turn them into high-producing sales leaders.
How Showing Love Will Help You Recruit & Retain High-Producing Sales Leaders
Do you have employees who tell you they just love their sales job or the work they do? Do you have employees who complains loudly and constantly about how screwed up their sales job is and especially they work for including you?
Which type of employees is more productive for your sales organization?
There are many reasons why people love their jobs:
- Some people love business because of the money they make.
- Others love business because of the recognition they gain.
- Some love the security it provides for their family and themselves.
- Some love their work because it allows them to contribute in making a difference.
Once you know what causes a worker to enjoy their work, you can provide that experience they want motivate them to become a high producing sales leader. And, when people love their work, they'll tell others. This means more people will want to work for your sales organization.
However, there's a lot more to love than that. Love is unique in that it is a choice, an attitude, and an outcome all at the same time. So, regardless of a work situation or its circumstances, a person can choose to love. The trick is to create a work environment where this form of loving is at least allowed and at best, encouraged.
Here's a step in that direction…
How to Create a "Loving" Sales Organization
The famous cartoon sailor, Popeye, had a great statement: I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam." If more people followed that, there would be less fear—and more room for love in the sales organization workplace. However, most people, not having been trained otherwise, choose to serve their ego. This automatically perpetuates the fear-based Machiavellian model.
When a person adds an adjective to the words, "I am," they are declaring an ego position, which inherently has fear attached to it. It looks something like this: "I am a sales manager." If I have an ego position in being a sales manager, which I have declared by saying I'm a sales manager, then I will either consciously or unconsciously choose to protect that position. Inherent in the protection is fear, specifically fear of loss of my identity as a sales manager."
Is it different if you choose to declare, "I am loving?"
No.
The same thing happens: You need to convince others about how loving you are, even if you're not feeling particularly loving today.
The challenge for most people is declaring, "I am," and not adding anything else to the declaration. It's too amorphous. It has nothing others can relate to.
Here's the most interesting part. By stating "I am," with nothing attached you have declared your freedom. You can choose to be love unconditionally. You could also choose to hate unconditionally. It's your choice.
In today's world of knowledge workers who will job hop in a New York minute, which choice do you think would attract more qualified sales leaders to your sales organization? This is not a trick question. Support your workers and associates in knowing they are whole people doing a job, not being the job. In that awareness, fear falls away, job enjoyment and satisfaction increases and the whole company moves into the new paradigm of enhanced excellence, productivity... and loving.
Sales Leadership Excellence How to Recruit Retain More HighProducing Sales Leaders - To learn more about this author, visit Gregory Stebbins's Website.
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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