Sell With Dignity & Set Your Sales Team Up For Success

Oct 15, 2021 | Listen

Does your salespeople know how to sell with dignity? If they do, they’ll play a vital role in fuelling the growth of your business.

They represent your company to potential customers interested in the products and services you offer and, of course, bring in the revenues for a healthier bottom line.

A motivated sales team is an effective sales team and knowing how to manage your salespeople is critical.

But how do you set up your sales department for success?

Today, my guest Harry Spaight, a sales leader, coach, author, keynote speaker, and I discussed how to manage your salespeople to ensure their success.

We also introduce the concept of “Selling with dignity” and how absorbing this sales mindset can benefit your future growth.



Timestamps for this week’s episode

  • 12:40 What makes a good salesperson?

  • 18:33 Spotting red flags in new sales hires.

  • 25:48 How to sell with dignity for salespeople and business owners.

  • 29:40 The importance of developing the right corporate culture to sell with dignity

  • 32:13 The Next Actionable Step to Take to Sell With Dignity

What makes a good salesperson?

The number one characteristic of a good salesperson is the ability to listen.

Many people newer to hiring salespeople get blown away by the person’s ability to speak. You need to take that with a grain of salt and, through interviewing them, get answers to the following:

  • What have they done in the past?
  • What does their day look like?
  • Are they generating their own leads?
  • Are they networking / What kind of network groups are they in or should join?
  • Who are their references?

Also check:

  • Activity on LinkedIn
  • Predictive Index or DISC scores

These questions can help determine if your potential new hire is a good salesperson.

What makes a good salesperson? The ability to listen and sell with dignity.

Spotting red flags in new sales hires

Call reluctance is the biggest red flag since it is not conducive to sales.

What does this look like? They might initially say they will make a ton of calls to their many contacts etc. but then hesitate and make excuses.

When salespeople are excited about a new opportunity, they’ll easily get in touch with their existing network to start having conversations and to book exploratory calls:

  • “Look, I’ve joined this company; they’re amazing.”
  • “You know, I’d like to have a conversation with you over the next few weeks.”
  • “Can we set something up so I can better understand your business, see if we might be a fit because we’ve been doing business together for years?”
  • And so on.

If your new hire has really been doing business in your market or local community for years, these businesses will want to follow.

If there is call reluctance or hesitancy, it may be that they fabricated or exaggerated a bit on how many people they do business with.

“When dealing with new hires: If there’s a huge red flag, it doesn’t go away – the red flags do not go away.” – Harry Spaight

How to sell with dignity for salespeople and business owners

Selling with dignity is helping others and providing value.

It’s a selling concept or mindset based on serving and the “Platinum Rule.” “treat people the way *they* want to be treated”. This goes a step further than the regular “Golden Rule” of “treat people the way you want to be treated.”

It’s asking your salespeople:

  • How do you contribute (to your client’s success)?
  • How do you provide value to others?

And asking yourself as a business owner:

  • What kind of business are you operating?
  • How do you want to be viewed (by your market)?
  • How are you treating people?
  • Would you treat them with love?
  • Would you thank them for coming in?
  • Would you nurture them and help them have a great experience?

These questions are your first steps in embracing the selling with dignity concept for your business.

“The (salespeople) who are providing value pre-sale will also take care of customers (post-sale), and that’s really what the whole service mindset & “selling with dignity” is.” – Harry Spaight

The importance of developing the right corporate culture to sell with dignity

Developing the right corporate culture is vital in empowering your sales team to sell with dignity.

  • Manage your expectations:

Are they too high that you’re setting them up to be pushy and sell with the intent of just making a quick buck?

A successful sale can take time. If you want someone that’s quality, implement some kind of ramp-up before eventually going to commission only. Contribute to their income, to take the pressure off, so that they can do the right things selling-wise.

  • Set them up for success:

Don’t place your salespeople in the position that if they really need to eat, they’re going to cross the line and put pressure on the customer. That’s what a non-dignified way of selling is.

Once you start putting pressure on people (customers) that removes you from providing value. You're no longer a valued salesperson - which means It's all about me, baby, it's all about my commission. (sell with dignity)

The Next Actionable Step to Take to Sell With Dignity

Financially, you’ll be able to do better because when you put your clients/customers first. It also builds your brand and your reputation on the market. By being incredibly friendly, caring, not pushy, and just doing the right thing, builds the reputation of your salesperson as well.

Customers will want to do business with you because you and your sales team are the differentiators – you’re offering value vs. selling a commodity.


Getting Ready to Sell With Dignity

To set up your sales team for success:

  • Do your due diligence when hiring potential new sales staff and keep a lookout for those with the ability to listen. It is one of the skills that make up the best salespeople.
  • If a team member exhibits “call reluctance” behavior, this is a major red flag.

It is not conducive to sales and the overall growth of your business.

  • Embrace the concept of “Selling With Dignity.”

Provide value, sell with service, and the success of your customer’s business in mind.

  • Establish the right company culture to support your sales staff so they can practice selling with dignity.

Manage your expectations and review the systems and processes you have in place.

Don’t force them to become pushy and undignified in their actions and how they treat the customer.

  • Finally, enjoy the rewards and financial benefits you’ll reap when you sell with dignity.

Customers will see the value your company (as represented by your sales team) adds to their business and will keep coming back.


Transcript

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About guest – Harry Spaight

Sales Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Author of “Selling with Dignity”

Harry has been an award-winning multi-million dollar sales producer and sales leader for over two decades. He is also a keynote speaker, coach, and the author of “Selling with Dignity – Your Formula for Life-Changing Sales Results.”

He works with sales teams and executives to elevate their selling skills, empowering them to succeed with dignity.

Website: https://harryspaight.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryspaight/

Harry’s book “Selling with Dignity – Your Formula for Life-Changing Sales Results”


About host – Kathy Svetina

Kathy Svetina is a Fractional CFO for growing small businesses with $10M+ in annual revenue.

Clients hire her when they’re unsure about what’s going on in their finances, are stressed out by making financial decisions, or need to structure their finances to keep up with their growth.

She solves their nagging money mysteries and builds a financial structure with a tailored financial strategy. That way they can grow in a financially healthy and sustainable way.

Kathy is based in Chicago, IL and works with clients all over the US.

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