"If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards."
Paul Bryant
As humans we're wired to seek out meaning and purpose in our lives. Nowhere is this ever so important than in sales, as this is where we spend much of our waking hours.
I'm a firm believer that having a purpose matters more now than ever before. A sales professional thrives on being a part of a purpose. They live for becoming part of something that really matters, something that really makes a difference to the lives of their clients and prospects.
In chapter 6 of my new book, Selling from the Heart, I speak to Servant Led Sales Leadership. In a business world where sales reps are viewed with negativity, an authentic, real-deal approach is a breath of fresh air.
- A servant sales rep has an authentic desire to serve
- A servant sales rep is all in
- A servant sales rep is focused on serving the needs of the person sitting in front of them
A servant led sales professional leads with a noble purpose. In Lisa Earle McLeod’s book, Selling with Noble Purpose: How to Drive Revenue and Do Work That Makes You Proud, she states; “Selling with noble purpose, turns out to be not only more successful. It’s hugely more profitable. It creates deep job satisfaction. And it adds value to the lives of customers."
YOUR CLIENTS ARE PEOPLE
The sales world is changing. Sales professionals who focus on adding value to their clients tend to make more money and do more for their clients than sales reps who aim to make money.
When sales reps see their sole purpose as making a profit, they tend to view their customers as objects. They look at them as dollar signs, reeking of commission breath.
"Lead with your and not your wallet"
The complete opposite exists with a purpose-driven sales professional. They understand their client's environments and goals on a greater level than that of quota-driven sales reps. They lead with their heart and not their wallet as they have their client's best interests at heart.
"Creating value not only transforms sales effectiveness, it provides insulation from the price hammer."
3 P's A SALES PROFESSIONAL TAKES TO HEART TO HELP THEM CRUSH SALES
Sales professionals who lead with their heart and not just their wallet are able to connect with the emotional needs of their clients and prospects. They understand people have the need to be valued, respected, heard and acknowledged. By acknowledging and not forgetting the human element, sales professionals maintain the wisdom to positively transform their clients business by helping them to do better business, a profitable one.
THEY HAVE A PURPOSE
Having a sense of purpose in your life is essential to your well-being. It's equally important to have a sense of purpose in your sales career. A sales professional continually searches and finds their sense of purpose as circumstances change.
Those with a sense of purpose in sales are passionate, they create change and they're committed. They're completely focused on serving their clients.
They ask themselves purposeful questions such as:
- What problems do my clients encounter? How can I help them solve them?
- How can I become more effective to better help my clients to succeed?
A sales professional takes massive action on themselves!
THEY HAVE PRIDE
Sales professionals take pride in their work and it's extremely important to them. You can say it just comes naturally.
"If your eyes do not light up when you talk about what you do then think about finding something else to do!"
If you don’t love what you do where you spend 8 hours per day and 5 days per week, then your long-term sales success is in danger. It all boils down to pride. This is what separates a sales rep from a sales professional. They invest in themselves and ensure this is visibly demonstrated.
A professional starts making small changes to their work habits, changes that build up to make a huge difference over time.
They are personally accountable and take responsibility for their actions. They don't point fingers unless it's right back at them.
THEY HAVE A PROACTIVE PLAN
- This plan helps them to overachieve.
- This plan increases the awareness within their marketplace of their company's products, services and solutions.
- This plan has them involved and participating in community events.
- This plan has them obtaining referrals from current clients.
- This plan has them continually learning about their clients business.
This proactive plan includes prospecting, profiling targeted accounts, executing account strategies and obtaining feedback to continuously improve their performance. The ultimate goal, drive additional sales revenue.
Creating a business plan and setting goals facilitates this potential into achievable numeric objectives, i.e. sales revenue and margin growth.
"Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results"
PURPOSE, PRIDE AND PLAN
Life is too short. You deserve a career where you have a sense of purpose, pride and a plan. Sales professionals don't leave it up to their company or their management team. It is up to you to define what you do with your sales career.
- Know what motivates you
- Find a mentor or a business coach
- Self-reflect and crave self-improvement
The best is yet to come!
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart has launched! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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