We’re seeing a significant shift from the traditional ‘hard-sales methodologies’ in most businesses, including pharma, life sciences, IT, FMCG and others. Most organisations are transitioning to a model that focuses on exceptional customer experience instead. Engaging with clients on both a clinical/technical/benefits and personal level is essential for any modern business looking to boost sales.
Traditionally, organisations notice a skill gap, so they arrange training in an attempt to upskill their commercial sales teams.
However, in order to build a high-performance team model, and take teams from ordinary to extraordinary the focus should not be exclusively on skills. You can upskill your customer-facing teams and leaders as much as you want, if they don’t have the right mindset, they won’t perform to their maximum potential.
Instead focus on the three critical mindsets of: Customer Fascination / Outcomes Obsession / Infinite Mindset.
Developing the right mindsets in your sales people is not always easy and you may have never considered how to do this before. However, there are some key things you can do:
Fully understand the behaviours and mindsets required for success now and into the future (something we’ve already done at Kamazing!)
Conduct an evaluation of where you currently are versus the behaviours uncovered in step 1, identifying areas of strengths and development.
Provide your sales people with highly prioritised growth opportunities, time specifically dedicated to them learning how to improve their mindset in their key growth areas.
Reassess every 6 months. This allows you to see exactly where growth has happened, and where it hasn’t. You’ll quickly identify which of your people are demonstrating entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviours.
There are several key behaviours that those sales people with the right mindsets exhibit every single day. Identify the individuals, see what behaviours they exhibit at work, encourage those behaviours in others or recruit to those behaviours. – this is the best way to dramatically redefine the performance in your sales teams now and into the future.
This could be an exhaustive list, but to keep it succinct, we have undertaken robust research and validation, narrowing it down to the 14 key behaviours you should be looking for in high-performing sales people.
These behaviours align to three key mindset domains:
Customer Fascination: an unparalleled desire to understand and interpret insight into each customer (internal or external) and to use this to create the optimal customer experience.
Outcomes Obsession: a constant focus to deliver both short and long term win:win:win outcomes for all parties.
Infinite Mindset: a determined and empowering belief that anything is possible, whilst constantly seeking opportunities for personal and business growth.
Now, we’re not saying that skills aren’t important. Your customer-facing teams need to have the skills necessary to engage customers to drive their success.
However, understanding the difference between the two is essential, as without good behaviours, skills cannot be used effectively.
Skills:
Skills refer to the specific abilities or expertise that an individual possesses. They are typically developed through learning, training, and practice.
They can be categorised into different types, such as technical skills, soft skills, or transferable skills. Technical skills are specific to a particular job or field. Soft skills, on the other hand, are more general skills that are valuable in various professional and personal settings, including communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and time management. Transferable skills are those that can be applied across different roles or industries, such as critical thinking, adaptability, and project management.
Skills are often measurable and can be acquired or improved over time through education, training programs, and practical experience.
Behaviours:
Behaviours, also known as competencies or traits, encompass the attitudes, actions, and patterns of conduct that individuals demonstrate in various situations.
This is more related to personal characteristics, interpersonal interactions, and how individuals approach and handle different situations. They involve the way individuals think, react, and behave in response to challenges, conflicts, or opportunities.
Behaviours are often associated with personal qualities and are less easily quantifiable than skills. While skills can be learned and developed, behaviours are typically more ingrained and reflect an individual's personality and values.
Fortunately, we’ve developed an industry-leading methodology to help quantify behaviours in your people. We call it…
RESULTS™ is an AI powered system that evaluates and develops the right mindsets to take your sales teams from ordinary to extraordinary.
Years of research have allowed us to create a custom system that’s designed to identify key selling mindsets across your customer-facing teams. It’ll also identify areas where improvement is essential.
You’ll receive both individual and organisational reports that quantify results, identify opportunities and present solutions to help your sales people to grow a more effective mindset. The data and pinpoint focus that RESULTS provides is the key to unlocking the potential of all of your sales people.