It has been the fastest, craziest start to a year that I can remember, and even the over-the-top, ominous coverage of Omicron hasn’t put a damper on the kickoff of Sales Kickoff Season meetings.
As I recently posted on LinkedIn, for all the logistical chaos created by clients postponing or converting conferences from in-person to virtual, there has not been one moment of tension or conflict as everyone is doing their absolute best to adapt on the fly and make lemons out of lemonade. I appreciate and respect the executives who have decided to forge ahead with in-person meetings and can’t wait to be there with them, and I understand the decision of those leaders who for good reasons are postponing in-person gatherings or switching to virtual. Together, we’ve “co-created” some pretty darn creative alternatives and I’m excited for the impact these sessions will have on their sales teams.
I trust that you are remaining positive and proactive as you sell or lead your sales team, and in this note I wanted to both alert you to something I see salespeople doing that diminishes their impact and perceived value, and also point you to a few fun, powerful recent episodes to up your attitude and your game.
STOP Doing This. It’s hurting, not helping, you…
Too many salespeople fall all over themselves thanking prospective clients and customers for their time and I. Do. Not. Understand. Why.
I am not saying we shouldn’t be appreciative, and I’m not suggesting that salespeople not be thankful. But when you go overboard over-thanking them for their time, it often feels amateurish and comes across like there was nothing of value in it for the customer.
The reason I bring this up is because I’ve been hearing sellers cheapen the end of a meeting by over-doing the “thank you for your time” thing. It just feels low-level and communicates both a lack of confidence and the sense that the client didn’t get a ton of value for spending time with the salesperson.
Yes, thank them. But don’t fall all over yourself like you were given an audience with royalty. If you’re doing your job as a professional seller, the client should be thanking you for insights, value, ideas, asking provocative questions, helping them see a different angle, and potentially solving a big problem or achieving their desired outcome!
3 Very Different Episodes (all getting rave reviews)
Pick one for your weekend walk or workout or next week’s commute:
Selling Through Tough Times –
In this powerful episode Paul Reilly and I discuss…
- Why tough times are good and often catalyze necessary, positive change
- The importance of our immediate, initial response to adversity and how resilience drives success
- Why tough times (counterintuitively) are often the opportune time to prospect for new business
- The powerful effect a manager’s expectations have on the team’s performance – particularly during hard times
Listen on my site HERE or on Apple Podcasts
Bruce Marshall – Rookie Sales Pro: A Story That Must Be Told
In this fun, entertaining conversation between two of my friends, Bradley Hartmann hosts Bruce Marshall who shares the inspiring story of his rise from diesel truck mechanic to sales pro, entrepreneur, and sales rapper. Hear how Bruce took popular concepts from my books and created rap songs to up his sales game and inspire other sales professionals (and I bet you can’t not smile listening to my two favorite songs – Sales Story and Celebrate)
Listen on Bradley’s site HERE or on Apple Podcasts
Getting Our Sales Management Mindset & Motivation Right for 2022
In this popular message, I was even more transparent than I normally am, and that says a lot because I’m pretty much an open book.
In Episode 22 I revealed what I’m most proud of coming out of 2021, what I’m working on right now, where I’m struggling, and I ask listeners the same question that I asked myself: What must you do to protect your mindset and your motivation to remain both positive and proactive leading the team (or selling) in 2022?
Listen on my site HERE or on Apple Podcasts
