The Missing Sales Link with Michelle Richardson (April 5th, 2023)

The Missing Sales Link: Michelle Richardson, Vice President of Sales Performance Research, shares six valuable resources that can I.M.P.A.C.T. your sales team and sales goals. Time is valuable, so let's get to it:?

Insight: The world of sales is constantly evolving – and the pace of change has accelerated in recent years. It shows no signs of slowing down. The pressures of economic uncertainty and shifting buyer expectations, compounded by rapid advancements in technology, are forcing sales organizations to rethink their approaches, tools, and processes.?

Selling today is harder than ever. How can your sales team cut through the noise and successfully navigate the current environment??

Join our Selling Through Uncertainty Webinar on Thursday, April 27th, to learn four essential principles for selling in an era of change. We’ll share practical tips to help your team focus on the right customers, build personal connections with buyers, create value with customers, and achieve consistent, purposeful sales execution.???

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Market Trends:? We’re hearing a lot about the influence of digitization on B2B sales. (My colleague Russ Sharer and I even touched on the topic in our book,?Agile & Resilient: Sales Leadership for the New Normal.)?It’s reshaped buyer expectations and changed how buyers and sellers interact.??

A recent?HBR article?explores this concept of digitization, offering insight into how organizations must adapt to optimize both the customer buying experience and their sales results. With a focus on creating more alignment with buyers, the authors suggest that the necessary sales capabilities and mindset must change. Such change will spur new sales metrics, incentives, and sales management practices.?

How is digitization impacting your customer experience and your sales results? Are your sellers aligning with how buyers want to engage? Check out the article’s perspectives and consider how they may apply to your organization.?

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Page Turner:? Daniel Pink’s?When?explores the science behind timing and its impact on personal and organizational effectiveness. Pink shares that individuals have their own “chronotype” or biological clock, which informs the best times of day for analytical or research tasks, decision-making, or creative thinking. He also stresses the importance of breaks in reducing burnout and improving productivity.?

The principles of timing also impact whether you should go first or last in a competitive situation. Pink lays out scenarios for the optimal order to win a decision in your favor, whether you’re making a sales presentation or interviewing for a job.??

The book suggests that timing can be understood and used to our advantage. The mix of research, stories, and practical tools may be a useful guide for those looking to harness time as a resource and improve their quality of life and work.?

Alignment: We’ve added new dates! Master the language of the Brooks Talent Index through our upcoming certification, so you can quickly and easily evaluate candidates on your own, brief others on the findings, and help your company make hiring decisions with confidence.?Save your seat now!?

Clever Sales Data: Do you want prospects to remember what you say? Try using hand gestures while you speak. A recent?Inc. article?noted that a specific type of hand gesture, known as a “beat gesture,” can increase listener comprehension and retention. Beat gestures are hand motions that emphasize certain syllables, such as raising a hand to highlight a point in a sales presentation.?

The key to success is matching the beat gesture with the right syllable or point of emphasis. Researchers from the Netherlands found that people were “20 percent more likely to hear and correctly remember” spoken words when beat gestures emphasized the correct syllables. Conversely, they were “40 percent more likely to misunderstand or misremember what was said” when the beat gestures did not align with the spoken words.?

Gestures can significantly impact how your audience remembers and understands what you say. If you want your prospect to retain the key points of your next sales presentation, plan what you will say and the beat gestures to reinforce your message.?

Thoughts From the Top: From Michelle Richardson, Vice President of Sales Performance Research: As noted in the Market Trends article, the impact of technology and digitization on sales is undeniable. Add to that the pace of change and the pressure of economic uncertainty, and selling feels more complex and challenging than ever. ?

Nonetheless, some basic principles are timeless in the face of challenge or constant change. Things like focusing on the right customer, building personal connections with buyers, creating value with your customers, and consistent sales execution are the non-negotiables.?

Dave Brock, of Partners in EXCELLENCE (and my co-host for our April 27th webinar), refers to these as our “North Star.” These are the principles we come back to when the going gets tough – when you’re trying to break into a new account, build advocacy with a buying committee, communicate a price increase to an existing customer, or re-engage a stalled opportunity.?

I hope you’ll join Dave and I for our Selling Through Uncertainty webinar as we dig deeper into these principles. Bring your questions for us, and we’ll give you some practical takeaways for today’s environment.???