Setting the right tone – Building the positive Sales Culture

Image Credit: Team Kool-T

Let's keep this frank, blunt and straightforward. Are you happy with the sales culture of your company or your team? Are your sales persons crushing the targets and having fun doing it? Or yours is the opposite story?

I had a conversation with the Commercial Director of a top multinational company Ghana, DHL and this is what he had to say; “DHL focuses on creating a selling environment that makes it fun to sell! Our sales culture is consciously planned and built to be superb! Once you are committed and serious about sales, selling in DHL is made very easy.”

On the other side, we have observed companies which have no sales culture or have a bad sales culture suffer similar fate;

• Morale is low

• There is a deteriorating sense of mission

• Sales targets are constantly missed

• These is low control over activities and results; basically selling becomes a “spray and pray” activity

• And in these places, even the best sales leader is almost always set on the path to failure.

So as a sales leader and business owner, which side do you find your company and the sales function you are running?

The creation of an environment that makes selling easy is a critical responsibility of the company and lies squarely on the laps of the sales leader or business leader. So to answer this question, look deep inside!

• How are you building that sales culture?

• Do your sales the members trust you?

• Have you set put the right sales management processes?

• How positive is your selling environment?

So let’s take a look at just three critical factors that your need to have in mind as your build that sales culture

1. Build Trust

A critical question in sales leadership is “Does your team trust you as the sales leader or business leader?”. To begin this journey to sales excellence within your company, start by building trust in your team. Sales productivity and the working culture is always at risk if as a leader, you do things that cause the team to distrust you.

How do you want to show up in the before your team?

• Tell the truth in all circumstance.

• Take responsibility for your mistakes

• Keep your promises

• Do what you say you’ll do

• Be what you claim to be

Remember that followers congregate around an authority of trust and if you are focused on moving your sales team to excellence, you must first win their trust and build trust into your environment.

2. Manage processes

Sales persons in their human nature, are too dynamic and nuanced to be fully managed. There are far too many personal preferences, opinions, likes and dislikes. Too many attitudes and characters involved here. However, it relatively more effective to manage processes. Why? Because processes set the baseline and a guide for what can and should be done and vice versa.

Because processes are conventionally logical, you have a better chance of achieving objectivity and this is the basis upon which effective management can happen. Then with a little blend of “people”, your sales team can have credible guides to what is used to manage and measure them in their day to day work.

So what are the processes you have developed so far?

• Are they objective enough to march a salesperson to the desired goal?

• Do they address every aspect of your sales function?

• Are they dynamic enough to accommodate a pinch of “people” salt?

• How well do your sales team members know, understand, appreciate and practice selling with these processes?

• And when were the last three times you reviewed these processes?

Remember, you are better off Micromanaging the Process and not the people.

3. Create that positive selling environment

Sales excellence does not happen in a vacuum; it happens and thrives in positivity! And you can never have a result filled sales culture if the environment does not support selling on a day by day level. Where the environment is negative, the culture will be challenged, aggressive and it cannot support your company’s sales goals.

How do you create that positive selling environment? Remember, this is a day by day expedition, tough and draining, but the end result is extremely worth it.

a. Set clear expectations

The sales targets are already known and now what are the very steps needed to be taken so your team can reach the glory crown? The expectations you set for your sales team should be the ones they have full control over.

Set expectations for their activities and guide them to appreciate how it will bring them closer to achieving their targets. Instead of asking the sales persons to close 10 sales, set a goal for them to start off with 40 product or service presentations. Keeping the eyes of the sales team on their activities create that sense of control and ability to progress. This builds their confidence and very soon, it begins to rub off on many other activities.

b. Hire the right fit

Getting the right person for the sales role is key. It is the start of success or failure! Many companies look to experience and skills to hire; yes, it is key! But remember, a green sales person is way better that a blue sales person! Be mindful of the attitude that comes into your team.

Focus on getting sales persons who are willing to learn and adapt and absorb new knowledge and experience Skill can be learnt but character is a stamp. So do not get into the runt of changing sales persons to make them a good fit. Instead, focus on people who will align with your sales culture. Remember that culture cannot be forced; it works when the people feel they can be who they are and still fit into the organization.

c. Let your passion inspire

Your vibrations as a sales leader is the frequency at which your sales team will perform! Where you show passion, your team will radiate a similar vibration. So inspire passion and bring yourself to the game; in every aspect! Lead the team with a desire to win and allow it to engulf them!

And where you are vulnerable, show it but always guard it with courage. Leadership is not about attempting to hide your vulnerabilities. But when you show that you need help, and are passionate about getting solutions, you build a lot more trust; your sales team will gravitate towards helping you find solutions!

Allow the sales team to show courage and a resolve to achieve with leading questions; “How do we get that appointment?”, “How do we table a more competitive offer?”, “How do we get the CEO on our side?”.

“Sound like truth and feel like courage”; it is never easy but it is always a stronger motivation and with it, you can build and maintain the best sales culture!

d. Every happening counts; Celebrate them

The positive and empowering sales environment appreciates achievements and celebrates them. It recognizes that great presentation delivered, that crucial C-Level meeting held, that minor deal that shores up the revenue and that major deal that puts fear into competition.

Even better, your sales environment should appreciate activity achievement. Because you are now managing the processes and practicing Activity Based Selling, it is easy to have achievers and celebrating them is so much of a morale boost, not only for them but for others as well. Who within your sales function is living the sales values? Who is your Prospecting Champion? Who is your Key Negotiator? Who on your team, leads when it comes to managing your solution delivery?

The best sales environment is one that celebrates the “failures” and the lessons that comes from them! Research shows that even the highest performing sales teams close less than 45% of their sales opportunities. Failure in sales is ok, provided it happens fast and early in the cycle and it provides lessons.

So create the right notion of success and celebrate it across your team; achievements, activity wins, opportunity progressions, early failures with lessons.

Building a sales cultures with a buoyant selling environment for your company is not only a productivity boost, but it is also essential for your company’s profitability and longevity. Maintaining it is no easy feat but it is worth your while to do so.

If you are open minded about getting an expert to support your company in building a productive sales culture or having a cultural revolution, contact us with your name, email address and a short message and let’s schedule an engagement.