One question is on the minds of many CEOs: What exactly should sales leaders be doing to ensure their teams are performing at their peak? The answer, while multifaceted, revolves around a critical shift in focus—prioritizing customer experience and empowering sales teams to excel.
Shifting Focus: From Internal Metrics to Customer Experience
Traditionally, sales leadership has often been about hitting targets, managing internal metrics, and ensuring the sales funnel is full. However, the modern approach demands a pivot. The primary role of sales leaders today is to ensure that salespeople are equipped to provide an exceptional customer experience. This customer-centric focus is not just about closing deals; it’s about making it easier to be your customer and harder to be your competitor.
“Sales leaders need to ask every day, what are we doing to make it easier to be our customer? That means we’re providing a great customer experience from hello to ‘I’m your loyal customer,’” says Alice Heiman.
Empowering Sales Teams: The Role of Leadership
Sales leaders are the backbone of the sales team. They are not only responsible for managing their teams but also for inspiring, coaching, and developing them. The challenge lies in balancing the day-to-day management tasks with the need to spend quality time coaching and strategizing with their sellers. The reality is that sales leaders should be spending 80% of their time coaching salespeople to close business effectively.
This involves a variety of activities:
Strategic Account Management: Sales leaders must be deeply involved in developing account strategies, ensuring the right resources are allocated, and that senior leadership is engaged when needed.
Continuous Development: Sales leaders must assess the strengths and weaknesses of their team members and create development plans that include ongoing learning. This could involve reading industry-specific literature, attending webinars, or even engaging in peer learning.
Effective Deal Coaching: With many deals stalling or ending in no decision, sales leaders need to provide thorough deal coaching, helping salespeople map out strategies, understand customer pain points, and navigate the complexities of the sales process.
Managing the Managers: Who Coaches the Sales Leaders?
One of the critical, yet often overlooked, aspects of a sales leader’s role is their own development. Who is coaching the coaches? CEOs must ensure that their sales leaders are receiving the guidance and development they need to continue growing. This could mean bringing in external coaches, providing access to leadership training, or fostering a culture of continuous learning within the organization.
Final Thoughts: A Call to Action for CEOs
If you’re a CEO wondering whether your sales leaders are equipped to lead a peak-performing team, it might be time to reassess. Shadow your sales leaders, understand their daily activities, and ensure that they are not bogged down by non-essential tasks that detract from their ability to coach and lead their teams. By focusing on the development of your sales leaders, you’re not only improving their performance but also driving the overall success of your sales team and, ultimately, your company.
If you want to discuss improving sales leadership in your organization, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to chat and offer insights tailored to your needs.
Episode Details
Chapters
00:02 Introduction and Setting the Scene
01:43 Role of Sales Leaders and Customer Experience
05:18 Communicating Needs to Leadership and Building Foundations
08:02 Daily Activities of Sales Managers
11:03 Strategic Planning and Senior Leadership Involvement
13:50 Ongoing Development and Deal Coaching
15:18 Pipeline Management and Effective Reviews
18:02 Development and Coaching for Sales Leaders
20:18 Conclusion and Call to Action
Connect with Alice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/
Check out Alice’s website: https://www.aliceheiman.com