If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams
Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. —Peter Drucker
Create a Winning Sales Culture – Find the Right Leader
Do not compromise when selecting the right person to lead your sales team! Do not accept experience, competence, and expertise as being sufficient.
It is imperative that the sales leader is not merely competent, but that he/she is competitive and driven to win. The ideal sales leader candidate possesses a deep-seated desire for overachieving and will have a track record demonstrating the ability to lead teams to exceed expectations relative to challenging goals. This candidate will exude confidence (not arrogance), with high expectations not only for himself but those around him.
This kind of sales leader will hire the right people and inspire us through his/her sheer will to win, high achievement orientation, and personal work ethic. That is, this is a person who sets an example with his own rigorous and disciplined preparation. This individual knows what it takes to win; he will diligently prepare himself and his team to be capable of doing all the right things in the right way. He will work continuously to create and enhance those habits and skills that will provide his team the best chance at winning.
When you find this competitive and achievement-oriented leader, one who also has high integrity, strong people orientation, and collaborative skills, you must hire him/her! This leader will create an environment which fosters open and honest two-way communications, employee development, growth and recognition, teamwork and individual support.
And thus, this kind of leader engages not only the minds but also captures the hearts and spirits of his folks. There is a mutual respect, trust and a loyalty factor which results in the adoption of the sales leader’s work ethic and passion for winning. In other words, the leader’s persona is indelibly imprinted on the culture; winning habits become contagious and are embraced to become business as usual.
So, the million dollar question is: Will the business not be successful without such a leader? Answer: I’m just saying that hiring such a leader will significantly increase your chances of producing stellar sales results year after year. And believe me, while these folks are not always easy to find, they are out there; most likely already employed but, nonetheless, interested in pursuing new opportunities. I had the good fortune of finding these folks inside my company, but you should pursue every option to find the best people as the return on investment is enormous.
In summary, I am passionate about the impact of strong, inspired sales leadership. It’s a proven blueprint for success that I’ve seen work time and time again. This is the kind of leadership that exists in a winning sales culture!
Are you technology a service provider looking for proven strategies to grow your business? If so, we can help you. For a review of five proven strategies, I used to generate hundreds of millions as an AT&T executive, email me at adam.vital@avbgs.com or call me at (281) 817-7391.
