Strategy 5 Get buy-in to implement difficult changes to beat the market 中

Sales growth is always top-down rather than bottom-up. Great sales leaders set a vision and then work consistently to inspire action. They display strong leadership commitment.

● Tactic 13 Drive growth from the top

Proven sales leaders lead from the front. They know that sales growth starts at the top and do four things to deliver it:

■ Challenge the status quo — Keep looking for ways you can do things better. Perhaps you can anticipate and attempt to preempt customer pain points or you might relentlessly pursue a better sales experience. Whatever it takes, make sure you’re trying new things to move your sales team forward. Actively question the way you do business and encourage everyone else to do the same.

■ Galvanize your sales team — The quickest and surest way to send shock waves through your sales team is to communicate one or two objectives that your team should pursue — and then stay on message every time you interact with your sales team. If you keep talking about the same compelling message time and again, people will start to believe you’re serious and will start changing how they act.

■ Be a role model for change — It’s vital that you walk the walk when it comes to moving in a new direction. Be a glowing role model for what you want everyone to do differently. You simply have to lead by example — there’s no other way.

■ Demand results, results and more results — When a big deal is in the offing, there’s nothing better than if you roll up your sleeves and get personally involved. Getting into the trenches and delivering results ahead of your competition will speak more eloquently about your intentions than anything you could ever say. Blend courage, drive and hands-on experience and your team will love it. Demand results and then work like crazy to help your team deliver them.

Key Thoughts

“The most senior sales leaders set the tone for everyone else in the organization; therefore, their role has the greatest impact in influencing the behaviors and attitudes of sales managers and employees alike. Great sales leaders know that everyone in their organization takes a cue from them as to what really matters.”

— Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami and Jon Vander Ark

● Tactic 14 Make it happen

Key Thoughts

“It’s common to talk about “the art of selling,” but all the sales executives we interviewed put more science than art into their winning formulas. These leaders all have passion for their teams, but they also pursued change that was founded on data, knowledge, and proven strategies. Furthermore, they had the tenacity to win the day-to-day battles that so often prevent longterm victories in change programs. They grappled with the age-old question of who is to blame for underperformance—the product or service being sold or the method of selling? They used data and analysis to diagnose their go-to-market approaches, sales processes, channels, technology, talent, and leadership. They were not afraid to ask what the winners did that their teams did not.”

— Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami and Jon Vander Ark

The world’s top sales performers do two things you should do when it’s time to accelerate your organization’s sales growth:

■ Start a dialogue about why change is needed and your vision for achieving it — All substantial change journeys start with a conversation where everyone is invited to think through a few fundamental questions. You have to get people thinking about how you can beat the market and what systems will be required. You have to pressure-test what you currently do and figure out how to move forward. If you’re serious about upping your game, assign your best people to the change program and provide the resources they will need to make it happen. Generate buy-in for what needs to happen.

■ Do the things which will implement your vision rather than just talking about it — This is where the real heavy lifting occurs. You have to convince people it’s worth abandoning old habits for a better way. You have to be prepared to take reps away from selling so they can learn the new tools you want them to use in the future. Success never happens by accident so stay the course. You might be able to start small and build momentum on the back of some early wins but above all else make the right things happen. Move from thinking to doing.

Key Thoughts

“We believe that companies in every industry can win big by taking a hard look at how they sell. And we hope that, at this point, you share our conviction. But conviction alone is not enough. The stories of all the sales executives who shared their experiences with us show that recognizing the need for change is just the beginning. Making change happen is what makes the difference—and it is hard work. Here’s to your sales success.”

— Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami and Jon Vander Ark