“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do
things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit….” – Vince Lombardi

 

It is imperative that the sales leader is not merely competent, but that they are competitive and driven to win. Furthermore, the candidate must possess a deep-seated desire for overachieving. They must have a track record demonstrating the ability to lead teams to exceed expectations concerning challenging sales goals. The individual we are looking for must be ambitious and have very high standards, benchmarking achievements against the best in class. This candidate will exude confidence (not arrogance), with high expectations not only for themselves but also for those around them; they will set the standard for excellence, inciting peak performance for the entire team.

This kind of sales leader will inspire us through their high achievement orientation, consistently positive mindset and, most importantly, actions and personal work ethic. That is, this is a person who engages in rigorous and disciplined preparation. This individual knows what it takes to win; they will diligently prepare themselves and their team to be capable of doing all the right things in the right way, creating and enhancing those habits and skills that will provide the best chance at winning.

In previous articles, we reviewed some key sales leader attributes: Integrity, People Orientation, and Collaborative Skill. Now let’s take a look at how these traits are complementary to one another. That is to say, when this competitive and achievement-oriented leader is one who also has high integrity, strong people orientation, and collaborative skills, then good things will happen. This kind of leader creates an environment which fosters open and honest two-way communications, employee development, growth and recognition and individual support.

This formula is one which wins not only the minds but also captures the hearts of his folks. As a result, there is a mutual respect, trust and loyalty factor which secures the adoption of the sales leader’s fundamental beliefs and habits, including their work ethic and passion for winning. And thus, the leader’s persona is indelibly imprinted on the culture; winning patterns become contagious and are embraced to become business as usual.

I am passionate about this very powerful business framework as it is electric, fun and exciting! This atmosphere is the kind that exists in a winning sales culture!