Gean Van Horn

Sales can often be a 'solo' endeavor and maybe is seems like going it alone is less cumbersome and fruitful. However, the sales person that really makes management pay attention is that one who can achieve but also coaches their peers. Their process may not be a formal one, obviously, but they are generous in answering questions for teammates, giving advice on best practices and occasionally inviting newbies to tag along. These type of sales people may sacrifice a little bit of their momentum at times, but they help feed the team and duplicate themselves in various coworkers who apply what they learn!

A mistake made by many salespeople, especially new ones, is to wait until the end to ask for the sale. There should be tentative closing taking place throughout the sales process. In other words, their should be points ALONG THE WAY where the seller and the prospect both agree that specific aspects of the product or service being offered do meet the needs of the prospect. These step by step points of agreement strengthen the commitment of the prospect and makes the final 'asking for the sale' (or more accurately, 'asking for a contract signature or payment from the prospect') simply a natural part of the entire process.

I do not believe that an individual sale contributor has to abandon that mindset when they direct a team. It is comparable to sports. The quarterback accomplishes many things by collaboration with his fellow players. He may also do things solo while on the field that benefit the entire team. There is no one size fits all answer to this question posed here but if you can lead and inspire, while still producing some of your own individual wins, I think that motivates the team and makes for a more effective sales leader!

The Beauty of a Podcast is that it becomes your own content that you don't have to get permission to produce. I get inspired listening to motivating, ordinary people who have accomplished amazing things. So, I create the type of podcast that I would listen to. I invite guests who are unique and have an amazing story to tell. What is the benefit? People become familiar with me as they listen to me interact with my guest. When I am engaging with many of my connections and business prospects on LinkedIn they have a good familiarity with me in part because of my Podcast. The podcast has enhanced my online reputation and also that of all of my guests. In addition, listeners are inspired to do things they may have been reluctant to do.

Differentiation from your competitors means more than being credible and trustworthy. Hopefully you are in an industry space where trustworthy competition is common. It helps to be able to highlight specific skillets you have that may be lacking in your competitors. This will attract solid clients who are looking for proven solutions.