Lead Your Sales Team to Finish the Year Strong as Trusted Advisors
Guest Post by Cherilynn Castleman
Lead Your Sales Team to Finish the Year Strong as Trusted Advisors
Managing and leading sales teams is becoming increasingly complex. The C-Suite raised expectations, competitors are multiplying, buyers have fundamentally changed their behavior, and unpredictable circumstances have caused sales strategies to change on the fly. Couple a lack of passion with current economic headwinds and you have lousy sales results.
How do you change things around for your sales team? Today, successful salespeople are seen as trusted advisors - valuable consultants to their clients who provide guidance and advice throughout the sales process and beyond.
If you lead a team crushing quotas at the end of Q3, 2023, maybe you have things figured out.
But if you’re interested in a methodology that can help you turn things around by the end of the year, read on.
Finish the Year Strong: The Need for Change
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
You don't need to be an Einstein to know that if you keep doing what you've always done, you will keep getting the same results. Changing your thinking requires fresh perspectives in customer relationship building and an approach built on trust.
Let's explore how you can help your sales team get back to the growth side with these three areas of sales leadership:
Vision
Inspiration
Coaching
Vision: The High-Performing Sales Team
Achieving success in the face of adversity requires deep market understanding and a high-performing team. So, what do sales teams that are still crushing it understand differently?
They recognize that changing buyer behavior is all about the customer.
They discovered how to create offers that perfectly respond to customer needs.
They know that pushing products buyers never asked for doesn't work.
Winning sales teams also understand that fostering high-trust client relationships is critical. This is why sales success must go beyond the typical sales process and focus on creating value.
Stats prove it:
*88% buy only when they see a salesperson as a trusted advisor
**87% of B2B buyers expect sellers to show up as a trusted advisor
Trust, credibility, and expertise are the qualities associated with these 'new sales reps' labeled as trusted advisors. The question is: How does one become a trusted advisor? Moreover, how do you build an entire team of trusted advisors?
Inspiration: Becoming a Trusted Advisor
Your team will become trusted advisors if you lead by example and inspire them to elevate their game. Remind them how all buying decisions are impacted by the rational and emotional parts of the brain, which is why they need to use both their heart and their head.
Their heart — To create connections and become trusted
Their head — To show expertise and become advisors
Coaching: The Tools for Instilling Trust
Wondering how to use your head when building trust? It’s important to keep in mind that trust is earned; nothing generates it better than knowledge and expertise around a product or service. But you'll stand out if you take that information to the next level. Looking to lead with the heart to create deeper connections? Science has proven that trust is dependent on The Trust Triangle which consists of logic, authenticity and empathy.
A Growth Mindset With a Customer At the Heart of It
Developing a successful sales leadership style requires a growth mindset and a team culture that:
Adapts to changes.
Nurtures active listening skills and empathy.
Trains and supports sales reps to become experts.
Coaches reps on how to build long-term relationships.
Don't build a team of sales reps. Build a team of trusted advisors. They are the ones who stand out and stay top-of-mind when customers make purchasing decisions.
Elevate your team’s sales with How to Become a Trusted Advisor: Using Your Head and Heart, my e-book written in collaboration with Owler – A Meltwater Offering. Unlock strategies to win clients with genuine connections when you download the e-book today!
Cherilynn castleman
Cherilynn Castleman is a Fortune 500 Global Sales Executive/Coach and empowering advocate for women in business who offers invaluable insights to transform sellers into trusted advisors. Contact Cherilynn to elevate your sales strategies and unlock your team’s potential as trusted advisors.
*2022 LinkedIn State of Sales Report
**2023 Salesforce State of Sales Report
