The Key to Building a High-Performing Sales Team
This article was adapted from Episode 11 of the Elevated Entrepreneur Podcast. Click here to listen.
In today’s episode, we are joined by Kyle Brewer
Kyle is an experienced sales manager, skilled in negotiation, operations management, sales, management, and software as a service (SaaS). He is also a strong business development professional, successful in starting and building sales teams. His mission is to help sales leaders build and develop high-performing teams.
Why Learn Sales?
Throughout our lives, we’re always selling — whether we’re negotiating for extended bedtime, more snacks, or treats.
However, when it comes to selling products or services to potential clients, many people face the limiting belief that they don’t have the necessary skills. When the inevitable rejection comes, this limiting belief can make it much more difficult to move past rejection and continue to build a relationship with prospects.
As humans, we are analytical. We typically won’t buy something on the first call, which is why a second, third, or even fourth call is key to success as a salesperson. Before a prospect can trust you as an authority, they may need to talk to you several times before a strong relationship can be formed.
Sales Psychology: Perfecting Conversations In Sales
According to Kyle, sales is built on mindset.
Since money conversations weren’t prevalent when growing up, he had major phone anxiety. When his family did talk about money, though, it was about where the money would come from, how they would eat, and how they would make ends meet.
This made Kyle’s first sales conversations very difficult.
However, things became easier when he started learning how to build relationships and provide value — before ever asking for anything in return. But, this required him to separate from sales in order to figure out how to have effective conversations.
Not only is phone anxiety a challenge with salespeople, says Kyle. What also gives them a hard time is the fact that they are too focused on the commission, the deal, and how they can get the buyer to pay off.
The problem with this is that when the salesperson’s focus is on the deal, they won’t spend time getting to know their prospect. They won’t spend time getting to know their pain points.
If you want to be successful in sales, you have to put the focus on your prospect.
Not whether or not they end up buying from you.
Becoming An Effective Sales Manager & Coaching Salespeople
The problem with most sales organizations is that they focus on managing the sales process, rather than coaching their salespeople. They don’t offer leadership development programs to help their salespeople reach their full potential.
In other words, they don’t have a coaching culture.
Instead, they have created a data-driven environment where conversations are deal and outcome-driven.
According to Kyle, building a coaching culture is essential to a great sales team. You should create a culture where every conversation with the employees is a mix of where people are coming from, where they want to go, and how you can help each other get there.
This will help build relationships and avoid micromanagement.
If you are only focused on numbers and metrics, you are likely to be micromanaging and not coaching. Through collaboration and establishing an open-door policy, you will be able to have conversations openly with your sales team and create a culture where criticism and feedback is encouraged.
Assertiveness vs. Aggressiveness in Sales
Many salespeople feel that when they are being assertive, they are putting your deals at risk. This isn’t true. According to Kyle, we pick up so many behaviors throughout our lives which negatively impact how we communicate in sales.
There is such a big learning curve when you’re getting into sales — much of it is based on limiting beliefs about money. In today’s society, openly talking about money is uncomfortable. But, it shouldn’t be.
The quicker you get over it, the easier it is to be assertive and successful in sales.
If you’re not assertive in life, people will walk over you: whether it’s in sales, personal relationships, parenting, or with your significant other.
Assertiveness isn’t aggressiveness.
According to Kyle, we need to challenge and change our perspectives (and other people's perspectives) so that we can begin thinking about money in a more positive, open way.
Putting People First & Overcoming Ego
We all want results.
We all want to help people grow.
But according to Kyle, it has to start from the top down and with a clear intent of self-development.
When it comes to success and skills development, Kyle shares that ego is the biggest thing that kills the most careers and companies. It happens when we want to speak more than we want to listen.
It happens when we want to be the absolute authority in one-on-one conversations, pushing everyone to think we’re the best.
However, by building a coaching culture, we can create a space that enables open conversation about who our salespeople are, what they want, why they’re here, and to make sure they’re in the right place.
According to Kyle, what happens many times is that companies perceive salespeople as having skills to prove.
Instead, we need to shift our mindset from the old-school way of thinking.
We need to stop seeing salespeople as numbers that need to perform in order to keep their job. If they aren’t coached properly and given the tools to succeed, it’s not fair to manage a sales team with this mindset.
-Raylen
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