But if you don’t choose the direction and lead the way, things may not turn out as you’d hoped. An excellent example, and an area where a lack of leadership can have a serious financial impact on the business, is the sales function.
If you don’t see yourself as a sales person, you’re not alone. You may have handed over this role at the first available opportunity and then stepped back to focus on expanding your business.
Perhaps you now have several people looking after sales for you. Even so, you still need to be sure that your sales team is following the right path and that your approach to sales is strategic rather than disorganised.
If you don’t have any understanding of sales strategy, or you know a little, but don’t feel competent in this area, it’s worth taking the time to expand your knowledge and to stay up to date with social and technological changes that affect buyer behaviour and sales approaches.
Many of the concepts are surprisingly simple and make perfect sense – once you know what they are!
Sell success to boost your sales
According to sales expert and speaker John Lees, there are two common misconceptions among business owners that often result in an under-performing sales team.
“The first is that hiring nice people will automatically result in good sales. It won’t. The second is that the business is selling a product or service. It shouldn’t be – it should be selling success or progress, even though it’s charging for a service or product.”
Explaining the last concept further, John says: “There are three queues of businesses trying to sell. Those in the first queue are selling what customers expect and already have.
Those in the second are selling the same, but with a slight improvement in service or price. And those in the third are selling what customers are quietly craving for – progress. The first two queues go nowhere.”
John says that business owners and managers must lead the way to ensure that the strategy is right, and that the entire sales team understands the company vision and strategy, whether those involved in sales are sales representatives, telemarketers, or retail assistants. Making improvements in this area can bring on a surprising turnaround.
John Lees will be presenting his views on this topic, with his usual touch of humour, at the Sydney Hills Business Chamber Business After Five networking event in February.
February events with a leadership flavour
Business leadership is the Sydney Hills Business Chamber’s theme for the month and both February networking events will have a strong focus that topic.
The first event is a Business Breakfast to be held at the Castle Hill RSL on Wednesday, February 12. Chamber representatives will announce events and initiatives planned for 2014 and discuss the concept of business leadership.
The second event is the Business After Five networking event to be held at the Mean Fiddler in Rouse Hill on Wednesday, February 26, where John Lees will entertain and educate as he explains how to lead your sales team to success.
To register for one or both of these events, or to find out more about the Sydney Hills Business Chamber, visit www.sydneyhillsbusiness.com.au
