Sell With Dignity & Set Your Sales Team Up For Success
From: "Help! My Business is Growing" Podcast
Your salespeople 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.
In this week's episode, we discuss:
12:40 What makes a good salesperson?
18:33 Are there any red flags that would indicate major issues with your new sales hires down the road?
25:48 What does selling with dignity mean? How does that look in practice, not just for a salesperson, but for a business owner as well?
29:40 The importance of developing the right corporate culture to implement selling with dignity.
32:13 What are the financial benefits of selling with dignity?
Listen to the podcast here:
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.
Are there any red flags that would indicate major issues with your new sales hires down the road?
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
What does selling with dignity mean? And what does that look like in practice, not just for a salesperson, but for a business owner as well?
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 implement selling 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?
Review your commission strategy - does it match your small business?
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.
What are some of the financial benefits of selling 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.
We go in-depth with this topic and moreover at the podcast. Listen here:
To Recap:
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.
About Harry Spaight
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"
by Kathy Svetina
Kathy is a Fractional CFO and the founder and director of NewCastle Finance LLC. She is a financial puzzle solver, focusing on women-owned businesses, providing financial insights needed for a healthy and sustainable business.