What does it mean to be a "modern sales leader?" Follow these 4 guidelines.
Carson V. Heady
Best-Selling Author | Managing Director, Americas - Microsoft Tech for Social Impact | Podcast Host | Sales Hall of Fame
Achieve Success as a Modern Sales Leader by Following These 4 Guidelines, with Carson Heady, Episode #79
Jul 26, 2018 by Mario Martinez Jr. 2 0 Comments
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Modern sales leaders make or break the success of a business. That’s why on this episode of #SellingWithSocial I interview Carson Heady, author of “Birth of a Salesman” and a Corporate Territory Manager for Microsoft. He understands the challenges a modern sales leader faces, and on this episode, he shares 4 main guidelines every sales leader should follow for ultimate selling success. We discuss everything from making CRM data work for YOU to setting personal selling goals to stay on top of the evolving world of selling. This episode will give you actionable items to follow if you want to understand modern sales in new ways, and it should not be missed. Listen now!
Turn Your CRM Data Into Leverageable Insights
The best modern sales leaders understand that a CRM is useless for selling professionals unless it provides real insights and reports. When used correctly, a CRM can provide invaluable data on your company’s targets, workforce, and pipelines. It can allow you to identify which metrics are slipping and create action plans to solve the issues before they balloon into massive selling problems. Carson explains that the number 1 metric all modern sales leaders need to understand is the conversion rates, or batting averages, for each one of their sales reps. This number tells you how successful a rep is in making the final sale, and having this dashboard set up in your CRM system will allow you to help your team become better at selling. Without leverageable insights into these rates, you’re letting valuable opportunities pass by.
Connect to Prospects Through Personalized Social Media Interactions
Sales interactions goes beyond simply sharing posts on social networks. In fact, Kurt Shaver our CSO discusses this on a recent podcast on successful modern seller skills which are required for today’s modern sales rep. Sales leaders today need to be leveraging social media platforms to make authentic, real connections with prospects. The opportunities to build a great brand reputation, find prospects, and connect with other sales professionals are limitless. One of the best strategies that Carson shares is sending personalized content to connections within your network, with a personalized message. Combining relevant resources with a personal touch allows you to rise above your competition and transform into the modern sales leader that the modern buyer requires.
Set Personal Selling Goals to Bring Deals to the Table
Even sales leaders need to continually bring deals to the table in order to stay connected with the modern selling environment. The best way to understand current techniques, tools and approaches that actually work is to go out and make cold calls, engage on social, send a video message or send a cold prospect an email. Modern sales leaders should set a goal for themselves every month and every quarter to bring in one new lead per month. Doing so will keep your skills sharp as to what is working and what is not. Carson explains that modern sales leadership is all about connecting with prospects. For more insights on how to keep selling to stay sharp, don’t miss this episode.
Modern Sales Leaders Evolve With the Way Modern Prospects are Buying
The most versatile way to stay on top of their sales game is to always be adapting. To understand the shifting audience, modern sales leaders need to be listening to the industry trends and speaking with other professionals. Being agile, flexible, intuitive, and unique are all keys to selling successfully. Carson also encourages all sales leaders to not only be great at selling on their own but also be able to teach and train their sales team in effective ways. You can’t afford to miss these insights and even more guidelines, all on this episode. Check it out!
Outline of This Episode
- [1:02] Carson Heady introduces himself on this episode of Selling With Social
- [5:06] Carson explains the keys to being a great modern sales leader
- [9:20] Modern sales leaders need to bring deals to the table
- [14:53] Learning to leverage social media in modern selling environments
- [20:38] Perfecting the work/life balance as a sales leader
- [22:55] The top 3 tools every modern sales leader needs to be using
- [24:45] You need to know THIS piece of data in your CRM
- [32:40] Modern sellers evolve with the way modern prospects are buying
Resources Mentioned
- Follow Carson on LinkedIn
- Follow Carson on Twitter: @CVHeady007
- BOOK: “Birth of a Salesman (The Salesman Against the World)”
- Carson’s all-time favorite movie, “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade”
- TOOL: Grammarly
- TOOL: Crystal Knows
- TOOL: Seamless.ai
- Social Business Engine Podcast – Bernie Borges
Connect with Mario!
- www.vengreso.com
- On Facebook
- On Twitter
- On YouTube
- On LinkedIn
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Australia's leading Authority on selling to the C-suite. Co-developer of "Selling at C Level" training program & author of "Selling at C Level" eBook. Coach, Devil's Advocate, annoyingly opinionated.
5 年Some great points there Carson (and Mario is fun isn't he?). Quite agree about the insights *well I agree with all of them but particularly that one).
Digital Transformation of Everything ~ Creating a Digital Twin of Everything
5 年I love all sales leadership including MLM as the psychology of the human mind inspires a choice or decision - doing nothing is un acceptable.