Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Why Leadership?
No
other
trait
has
a
wider
affect
on
sales
success
than
leadership.
Leadership
is
not
reserved
for
those
in
official
positions,
but
is
found
in
anyone
who
envisions
big
goals
and
has
the
tenacity
and
integrity
to
accomplish
them.
This
eBook
highlights
some
of
the
most
vital
steps
someone
can
take
toward
becoming
a
sales
leader.
Whether you are a CEO, a sales manager or someone just starting out in the sales industry, you can strengthen your skills and move confidently toward more influence, more sales and more satisfaction.
1 2
L.E.A.D.E.R.S.H.I.P
10 Traits of Effective Leaders
Listening:
Leaders
take
the
time
to
listen
to
what
is
being
said
and
more
importantly
to
what
is
not
being
said.
Create
an
environment
that
fosters
dialogue
at
all
levels.
Create
an
environment
that
encourages
people
to
share
their
opinions,
instead
of
complaining
to
others.
Empowerment:
High-performing
teams
make
their
own
decisions.
They
know
the
organizations
vision
and
goals.
Theyre
encouraged
and
supported
in
making
their
own
decisions.
Attitude:
Leaders
understand
how
attitude
impacts
the
performance
of
the
team.
The
skills
of
a
team
will
never
be
fully
realized
unless
the
team
has
a
success-oriented
attitude.
Organizations
adopt
the
style
of
the
leader.
When
leaders
fail
to
embrace
a
people-oriented,
growth
attitude,
they
become
managers
of
a
process.
Driven:
Leaders
do
not
allow
setbacks
to
become
permanent.
Rather
they
use
setbacks
as
stepping-stones
to
accomplish
goals.
Leaders
know
people
are
watching
them
during
difficult
times
to
see
how
they
should
respond.
Its
during
difficult
times
when
the
leaders
true
spirit
comes
through,
and
its
this
spirit
that
becomes
part
of
the
organization.
Encourage:
Leaders
never
underestimate
the
power
of
the
team
and
are
always
drawing
out
the
best
in
people
through
their
encouragement
and
support
in
large
and
small
things.
Encouragement
is
an
intangible,
yet
leaders
who
visibly
and
verbally
encourage
other
people
genuinely
understand
the
power
of
encouragement
Passion : Nothing determines the level of output Donec sit amet arcu. more than the passion exhibited by the team, and
this starts with the leader. Without demonstrated passion from the leader, there is no hope of the team ever achieving greatness. The level of output is directly related to the passion of the organization and each member of the team.
Those
who
demonstrate
leadership
will
succeed
in
their
careers
in
tangible
ways
and
intangible
ways.
Sales
leadership
cannot
be
reduced
to
simply
being
the
top
performing
salesperson
in
terms
of
numbers.
Sales
leadership
is
being
the
type
of
salesperson
and
sales
team
that
is
seen
by
not
only
your
customers,
but
also
your
competitors,
as
the
source
to
turn
to
for
answers.
Sales
leadership
is
being
able
to
ask
customers
and
prospects
questions
that
both
you
and
the
customer
are
not
going
to
know
the
answer
to.
Tradition-bound
salespeople
would
never
think
of
asking
a
customer
a
question
they
wouldnt
be
able
to
answer.
Leadership
in
sales
is
just
the
opposite.
Its
being
comfortable
and
personally
confident
enough
to
ask
tough
questions.
The
more
you
grow
in
your
ability
to
do
this,
the
more
likely
you
will
uncover
the
type
of
crucial
information
that
will
equip
you
to
close
the
profitable
sales
that
other
salespeople
regularly
miss.
2.
3.
1.
Although
managers
are
concerned
about
a
result,
leaders
are
also
concerned
about
why
a
result
occurred.
3.
Short-term
results
can
be
driven
by
a
managers
words.
Long-term
results
are
driven
by
a
leaders
actions.
11.
Successful
leaders
create
organizations
comprised
of
individuals
who
have
a
desire
to
continuously
improve.
20 Must Have Traits for Success 13.
Leaders
are
comfortable
with
Leadership 17.
Successful
leaders
realize
you
cannot
communication
flowing
back
up
to
them
and
how
to
deal
with
it
once
its
received.
totally
separate
a
persons
work
life
from
their
personal
life.
With each person we meet, our goal is to earn the right, privilege, honor and respect to meet with that person again.
How
is you
One
aspect
with
regard
to
sales
leadership
is
to
pay
close
attention
to
your
e-reputation.
I
ran
across
this
phrase
and
was
struck
by
it.
Your
e-reputation
is
what
others
may
find
out
about
you
and
your
company
via
the
web.
Maintaining
a
reputable
status
on
the
web
is
a
worthy
endeavor.
With
Google,
its
easy
to
see
what
people
are
saying
about
you
or
your
company.
All
great
leaders
will
always
have
people
who
are
in
disagreement
with
them.
Take
the
time
to
see
what
is
out
there
so
you
can
then
respond
should
something
negative
come
up
in
a
conversation.
I
know
plenty
of
warnings
have
been
given
that
you
should
be
conscientious
of
what
you
share
personally
on
social
networking
sites.
Surprisingly,
some
people
still
do
not
heed
these
warnings.
They
share
questionable
comments
or
photos
on
Facebook
or
Twitter,
forgetting
who
is
connected
to
them
on
those
sites
or
simply
forgetting
that
its
not
too
difficult
for
anyone
to
come
across
the
information.
If
you
want
to
keep
a
high
level
of
profits
and
sales
motivation
and
if
you
want
to
have
ample
time
to
focus
on
your
selling
skills
then
be
sure
you
are
viewed
as
a
leader.
Carry
yourself
with
integrity
and
confidence
wherever
you
present
yourself,
including
out
in
cyberspace.
2.
3.
4. 5. 6.
Identify the strategic objectives on which the company is working. In particular, learn all you can about the key initiatives with which you have reason to believe the CEO is most concerned. Monitor the news to determine if there are any political or newsworthy events that could impact either the CEO or the company. Monitor the trade journals and industry websites that pertain to the companys industry. Know the educational background of the CEO and identify any key alumni and school events with which the CEO may be connected.
Use
the
information
you
obtain
from
the
activities
listed
above
to
help
you
develop
a
list
of
peer
comment/questions
you
can
share
with
the
gatekeeper
or
CEO
if
the
opportunity
arises.
Peer
comments/questions
are
those
things
you
can
share
briefly
with
the
CEO
or
gatekeeper
that
allow
them
to
see
that
you
are
aware
of
the
environment
in
which
they
operate
and
that
you
are
comfortable
talking
about
those
things.
By
positioning
your
peer
comment
as
a
question,
you
not
only
have
the
ability
to
share
something
with
them,
but
you
also
will
engage
them
in
conversation.
Making
a
peer
comment/question
part
of
your
opening
dialogue
with
the
CEO
will
reassure
the
CEO
that
they
are
not
wasting
their
time
with
someone
who
does
not
understand
how
valuable
the
CEOs
time
is.
It
also
demonstrates
that
you
comprehend
their
level
of
decision-making
responsibility.
Remember
your
peer
comment/question
is
not
the
opportunity
for
you
to
share
your
5,000
word
opinion
on
a
topic.
Your
comment/question
should
be
brief
and
framed
as
an
opening
to
get
the
CEO
to
share
their
opinion.
It
is
not
necessary
for
the
peer
question/comment
to
relate
directly
to
your
meeting
topic.
In
fact,
is
better
if
it
is
on
a
completely
different
topic.
You
will
show
the
CEO
that
you
do
not
have
tunnel
vision
and
you
have
a
broader
understanding
of
the
world
in
which
they
operate.
Continued
Copyright
2013
Mark
Hunter
www.TheSalesHunter.com
If youre wondering why I use the term peer, it is because the topic youre bringing up is designed to be a topic the CEO may very well be discussing with their peers. This allows the CEO to naturally begin to see you as one of their peers, thus increasing their comfort in sharing information with you. Earlier in this article, I mentioned that you shouldnt hesitate to share your peer comments/questions with the gatekeeper as well. The gatekeeper is really an extension of the CEO. When you make relevant comments or pose peer questions, you increase the gatekeepers comfort level. If the gatekeeper feels comfortable with you, this contributes to the CEO feeling comfortable. If you have managed to land that all-important meeting with a CEO, dont delay in your preparation. Invest the effort and time now so you can experience the valuable dividends later. Be the leader you are capable of being. Be the leader the CEO will remember.
Leaders
use
their
hand
motions
to
move
at
a
pace
consistent
with
the
words
per
minute
they
speak
at.
Overly
fast
and
jerky
movements
communicate
a
sense
of
panic.
In
contrast,
deliberate
hand
movements
that
flow
in
sync
with
what
is
being
said
demonstrate
the
salesperson
is
in
control
and
has
an
ability
to
lead.
Continued
Copyright
2013
Mark
Hunter
www.TheSalesHunter.com
10
Another
way
your
hands
demonstrate
leadership
is
how
theyre
held
in
relation
to
the
body.
The
further
the
hands
are
extended
from
the
body,
the
more
it
shows
leadership,
due
to
the
space
the
person
is
looking
to
control.
Finally,
the
hands
demonstrate
leadership
because
they
can
show
someone
that
you
are
listening.
When
the
hands
are
still
while
the
other
person
is
talking,
it
conveys
you
are
listening.
Obviously,
listening
is
crucial
to
leadership.
True
leaders
show
this
not
just
with
their
ears,
but
also
with
their
posture
and
with
their
hands.
When
you
hold
your
hands
still
while
the
other
person
is
talking,
it
is
a
very
visible
contrast
to
your
hand
movements
when
youre
talking.
Your eyes and your hands two communication tools that help demonstrate confidence and leadership. Be intentional and conscientious in how you use your eyes and your hands. They are saying more than you realize.
The level of profit you make on a sale will reflect the level of confidence you had going into the call.
The level of trust you build today will determine the level of profit you achieve tomorrow.
11
Could you give me an example? Could you explain that again to me?
Continued
Copyright
2013
Mark
Hunter
www.TheSalesHunter.com
12
The shorter the question, the more likely we are to get a long answer. The next step is to ask them another short question, following up on what they just said.
The
beauty
about
this
is
it
allows
the
customer
to
do
all
the
talking.
By
doing
the
talking,
theyll
tell
you
their
needs
and
desired
benefits.
Theyll
tell
you
their
goals
and
will
reveal
a
level
of
information
you
need
to
determine
how
to
best
serve
them.
When
using
the
short
question
approach,
there
are
only
two
things
you
need
to
remember:
First,
ask
the
customer
a
soft
easy
question
to
which
you
know
theyll
respond.
Second,
after
they
have
given
you
a
response,
continue
with
the
short
questioning
approach
by
asking,
Could
you
give
me
another
example?
You
then
pause
and
allow
the
client
to
give
you
more
information,
upon
which
you
follow
up
again
with
another
short
question
such
as,
How?
or
Why?
Basically,
you
want
to
do
whatever
you
can
to
get
them
talking
more.
If
you
do,
youll
come
across
as
an
inquisitive
3-year-old
rather
than
the
professional
salesperson
you
know
you
are.
You
can
avoid
this
best
by
picking
up
on
a
single
item
they
shared
with
you
and
drilling
down
on
just
that
one
item.
When
you
drill
down
on
a
single
item,
you
demonstrate
your
listening
skills
and
your
ability
to
truly
discern
information.
The
beauty
of
this
approach
is
when
it
works,
the
customer
will
many
times
share
with
you
exactly
what
they
want
and
will
begin
asking
you
questions
about
features
and
benefits.
Short
questions
get
you
long
answers.
Long
questions
get
you
short
answers.
It
is
up
to
you
as
to
the
approach
you
want
to
take.
Copyright
2013
Mark
Hunter
www.TheSalesHunter.com
13
Do
You
Talk
About
Your
Products?
Or
Do
You
Talk
About
Your
Customers
Business?
Sales
leaders
know
that
the
limited
time
they
have
with
a
customer
should
be
spent
talking
about
what
the
customer
is
most
interested
in.
If
you
are
spending
time
discussing
with
your
customers
their
business,
then
youre
behaving
in
a
way
that
most
salespeople
fail
to
comprehend.
Its
not
that
you
dont
talk
at
all
about
what
you
sell.
What
it
means
is
youre
placing
the
interests
of
the
customer
ahead
of
yours,
and
when
you
do
talk
about
what
it
is
you
sell,
youre
doing
so
in
a
way
that
wraps
it
around
how
it
is
going
to
help
the
customers
business.
Too many salespeople who sell in the B2B (business to business) sector seem to forget about the fact that if the customer theyre selling to is not successful, there is no way they as a salesperson will be successful selling to them. As a sales leader, you have to recognize and embrace that your customers have to be strong and healthy. The last thing you want to do is to sell to a customer who cant pay you. Take a few minutes to ask yourself what you know about your customers business. Ask yourself, When was the last time I had a solid discussion about their business?
Continued
Copyright
2013
Mark
Hunter
www.TheSalesHunter.com
14
Im
a
firm
believer
that
unless
youre
having
serious
discussions
with
your
customer
about
their
business
and
how
they
can
improve
it,
there
is
little
chance
you
will
ever
be
a
great
salesperson,
let
alone
a
sales
leader.
The
beauty
in
having
this
type
of
discussion
with
your
customers
is
the
information
youll
learn.
Very
quickly
youll
learn
insights
and
strategies
that
will
help
you
maximize
opportunities,
not
only
with
the
customer
to
whom
you
are
talking,
but
also
with
other
customers.
This
knowledge
will
quickly
work
its
way
into
all
of
your
discussions,
which
in
turn
will
have
customers
sharing
with
you
even
more
information.
The
end
result
is
simple
youll
be
seen
as
somebody
valuable,
and
they
may
actually
look
forward
to
meeting
with
you.
You will stand apart from other salespeople, who the typical customer can usually do without.
15
Sales Leadership is possible for anyone dedicated to the profession of sales and the goals of their customers. Decide today to walk with confidence, integrity and a life-long commitment to continual learning.
www.TheSalesHunter.com
Mark
Hunter
The
Sales
Hunter
mark@thesaleshunter.com
(402)
445-2110
16