SALES ENGAGEMENT LEADERSHIP
Here is a step-by-step guide to implementing an enterprise approach to engagement that aligns with the principles of Enterprise Sales Engage- ment and ISO Annex SL and ISO 10018 quality people management standards that provide a framework for the strategic management of all stakeholders in a way that connects the dots between all actions that can drive success.
UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERIS- TICS OF YOUR SALES TEAM Before applying the processes of Enterprise Sales Engagement to the sales organization, it is necessary to better understand the unique char- acteristics of the role and working conditions of salespeople in the gen- eral sense – obviously, salespeople at different types of organizations face different types of challenges. In most organizations, salespeople bring home the bacon for every stakeholder. What makes the job often psychologically brutal? Business travel and trade shows for two. Also, indif- ference or outright rejection. It takes a certain type of person who, depend- ing on the job, can face complete non-interest almost 99 percent of the time (if they are in the business of cold calling) – or, in the best of cases, plenty of opportunities for things to go south. One recent estimate found that 80 per- cent of business deals never happen. Whatever challenges all employees face at work (and every job has its is- sues), salespeople are among the few for whom non-interest, indifference – or, worse, distrust or skepticism – are literally built into the job.
Employing a systematic enterprise
approach to addressing this reality is the key to creating a sustainable, high- performance sales organization. Of all professions, the sales field is perhaps most prone to quick fixes or bright and shiny objects to rev up the sales force. Instead, what works is creating a culture that builds meaning into a company’s products and services – no matter how seemingly prosaic.
Having a CEO committed to a clear brand definition unifying the inter- ests of all stakeholders, supported by front-line management, helps bring that culture to life within the organization so promises made to customers get delivered. Under ideal circumstances, the CEO is the chief salesperson ready to go to the front lines to assist with sales to get a first- hand view of market issues faced by the team.
When all the organization’s pri- orities support the team that must convince people to pay for its prod- ucts or services, the reward is signifi- cantly higher sales – because satisfied customers beget more business and more referrals.
Leadership involves the ability to
recruit the right types of managers at the front lines who know how to connect the brand to the day-to-day selling process; inspire rather than bludgeon; coach rather than bully; and who are committed to ensuring the sales force is fully enabled with the tools they need to inform and help clients and prospects. The key to the entire process of En- terprise Sales Engagement is to have a clear written plan – ideally, tied to the organization’s overall goals and up- dated whenever those goals change.
ASSESSMENT
Rather than using data to control sales- people, organizations achieve the best results when they use it as information to better prepare salespeople for the conditions they will face.
The best information helps sales- people identify what they can do to better understand customer needs; how to match solutions to those needs; and what they can do to improve their performance. To build trust with clients, salespeople should have the confidence and support of their organization to walk away from a customer or prospect they can- not help. CRM dashboards should provide actionable information that enables them to see which actions
result in higher levels of engagement and sales, backed up by coaching or training to support it – such as which information appears most useful to customers, how many touchpoints are generally required to turn into a sale, what touchpoints are most useful, what prospecting techniques work the best in your industry, etc.
COMMUNICATIONS To stand out from commoditization, top performers become experts in their fields and known resources for information. More (and higher levels of) buyers will take calls from sales- people when they know they’ll learn something in the call or get asked a question that will make them think of something they may have over- looked – or when they know sales- people will be there for them when they need help. Relevant Information. Today’s technology makes it possible, through CRM platforms or low-cost Enter- prise Sales Engagement portals, to continually feed salespeople useful information about customer needs and solutions, what’s new, industry trends, what competitors are doing – part of a process now known as “sales enablement” – so salespeople feel informed and confident they know as much as (if not more than) their customers or prospects. Every CRM system should be continually updated with useful links to information specifi- cally selected by a content marketer in the know about what’s happening in the market. Community. Just as important as information is building a sense of community. Enterprise Sales Engage- ment technology makes it inexpen- sive and easy for almost any size company to foster understanding across the organization by highlight- ing teams and individuals, telling stories relevant to the organizational culture and mission, and providing relevant how-to content about prod- ucts, services, or techniques. Addressing the Why. Effective internal communications can also
SELLING POWER JANUARY 2019 | 33 © 2019 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
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