In a recent episode of the Sales Pop Expert Interview, host John Golden sat down with Hamish Knox, a distinguished figure in sales leadership and coaching, to discuss the persistent challenges sales leaders face and the strategies to overcome them. Hamish, based in Calgary, Canada, is a recognized member of the Sandler network and has authored several books on accountability and sales processes. This blog post delves into their conversation’s key themes and actionable insights, providing a comprehensive guide for current and aspiring sales leaders.

The Perennial Problem of Sales Leadership

Lack of Training for Sales Leaders

One of the primary issues Hamish highlights is the lack of training for sales leaders. Many entrepreneurs and top sales performers are promoted to leadership roles without the necessary coaching or management skills. This gap often leads to frustration and high turnover rates as these new leaders struggle to manage their teams effectively.

Actionable Advice:

• Invest in Leadership Training: Organizations should provide comprehensive training programs for new sales leaders, focusing on essential skills such as coaching, communication, and team management.
• Mentorship Programs: Pair new leaders with experienced mentors who can offer guidance and support during the transition.

The Importance of Coaching

Hamish emphasizes that effective coaching is crucial for sales leadership. Coaching is about giving instructions and guiding team members to discover their own paths to success. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and accountability among salespeople.

Actionable Advice:

• Regular Coaching Sessions: Schedule consistent one-on-one coaching sessions with team members to discuss their progress, challenges, and goals.
• Personalized Coaching Plans: Develop individualized coaching plans that cater to each team member’s strengths and areas for improvement.

The Need for a Structured Sales Process

Misconception of Process as Restrictive

Many salespeople view structured processes as restrictive, but Hamish argues that a well-defined process actually provides freedom. It sets clear expectations and allows salespeople to operate within a framework that supports their unique styles and approaches.

Actionable Advice:

• Implement Guardrails: Establish “guardrails” that guide team members toward their goals while allowing flexibility in their approach.
• Documented Sales Processes: Create and document clear sales processes that can be easily communicated and replicated across the team.

Success by Design

Hamish shares an anecdote about a client who achieved a half-billion-dollar exit by demonstrating a clear path of growth supported by well-defined processes. This example underscores the importance of having a structured approach to sales that can be communicated and taught to others.

Actionable Advice:

• Scalable Systems: Develop scalable systems and processes that new team members can easily adopt.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly review and refine sales processes to remain effective and relevant.

The Role of Communication

Adapting Communication Styles

Effective communication is a critical aspect of sales leadership. Hamish points out that leaders must adapt their communication styles to meet the needs of their team members. With multiple generations in the workforce, a one-size-fits-all approach to communication is ineffective.

Actionable Advice:

• Understand Individual Preferences: Take the time to understand how each team member prefers to receive information and adjust your communication style accordingly.
• Diverse Communication Channels: Utilize various communication channels (e.g., email, face-to-face meetings, instant messaging) to ensure messages are effectively conveyed.

High-Level vs. Detailed Communication

Hamish shares a personal example of his communication style, which focuses on high-level results rather than detailed processes. Effective leadership requires acknowledging that each team member is unique and may require different approaches to communication.

Actionable Advice:

• Tailored Messaging: Customize your messages to align with the preferences and needs of each team member.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Implement feedback mechanisms to ensure clear and effective communication.

Modeling Desired Behaviors

Leading by Example

A key takeaway from the conversation is the importance of modeling desired behaviors as a leader. Hamish stresses that leaders must demonstrate the behaviors they want to see in their teams. If a leader fails to follow through on commitments or cancels meetings, they send a message that accountability and reliability are not priorities.

Actionable Advice:

• Consistency: Be consistent in your actions and commit to building trust and credibility.
• Visible Accountability: Publicly acknowledge and take responsibility for mistakes to set a team accountability standard.

Creating a Culture of Trust

Hamish recounts a story about a leader who spoke about the importance of accountability but failed to model that behavior. This led to a culture of disengagement and lack of accountability among team members.

Actionable Advice:
Align Actions with Words:** Ensure that your actions align with your words to create a culture of trust and accountability.
Recognition and Rewards:** Recognize and reward team members who demonstrate desired behaviors to reinforce positive actions.

Conclusion

The conversation between John Golden and Hamish Knox provides valuable insights into sales leadership challenges and offers practical strategies for overcoming them. Sales leaders can create a more effective and engaged sales team by focusing on training, coaching, structured processes, and modeling desired behaviors.

Effective sales leadership is about more than just achieving numbers; it’s about creating an environment where individuals can grow, develop, and succeed together. As Hamish emphasizes, leaders must be intentional in their approach, model the behaviors they wish to see, and support their teams in navigating the complexities of sales.

For those interested in learning more about Hamish and his work, he can be easily found on LinkedIn or through the Sandler website at gosandler.com/hamish.

By implementing these strategies, sales leaders can foster a culture of success and empower their teams to thrive in the ever-evolving sales landscape.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

As the host of the Expert Insider Interview from Sales Pop Online Sales Magazine and Pipeline CRM, I engage with top minds in business. Recently, I spoke with Tony Perzow, an expert in negotiation, persuasion, and influence, to explore these skills’ impact on our lives.

Understanding Persuasion and Influence

We began with a key question: What are persuasion and influence? Tony described them as a language map for the mind, targeting both subconscious and conscious minds. He stressed the importance of mastering these skills to communicate effectively without manipulation.

Ethical Persuasion: Generosity as Influence

Tony emphasized ethical persuasion, advocating for generosity and giving without expectations. This approach fosters trust and genuine connections.

We explored scarcity and authenticity. Tony argued that true influence comes from being unique and authentic, which benefits mental health and well-being.

Authenticity and Mental Health

Tony shared insights on the brain’s default mode network and living in integrity. Recognizing triggers and patterns in our interactions is crucial for mental health.

We discussed the need for a paradigm shift in business. Embracing change and exploring new perspectives are essential for personal and professional development.

Tony shared a workshop experience highlighting vulnerability and sensitivity. Unity and asking for help create a magnetic quality.

Overcoming Mental Health Stigma

We touched on the stigma surrounding mental health and the need for a compassionate approach to both mental and physical well-being.

Tony shared a story about his son’s behavioral challenges. Compassion and understanding helped his son and showcased the power of love and self-compassion.

Tony aims to revolutionize corporate workshops with dynamic sessions that foster vulnerability and personal growth through breathwork, yoga, and meaningful conversations.

 The Need for Compassion and Vulnerability

Our discussion highlighted the need for compassion, understanding, and vulnerability in all aspects of life. Embracing these principles can lead to profound changes and a more compassionate society.

Reflect on the power of persuasion and influence when wielded with authenticity and compassion. Let’s strive to be more genuine and connected to ourselves and each other.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Understanding the Acquisition and the Need for Change

As the host of the Sales POP! Online Sales Magazine and Pipeline CRM. I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Swiler, the CEO of a leading software suite for Microsoft users. Our conversation revolved around his experience acquiring and turning around a software company. Andrew emphasized the importance of understanding what you’re buying when acquiring a company and the need for significant changes when sales are flat.

The sales team he inherited had no objectives or KPIs and lacked modern sales tactics. They were solely focused on farming the current user base for revenue and were resistant to change. Andrew shared that the existing sales process was not really a process at all, with each salesperson having their own way of selling. This lack of structure and resistance to change were the first challenges Andrew had to tackle.

Implementing a Personalized Approach to Sales

To turn things around, Andrew implemented a more personalized approach to the sales process. He encouraged the sales team to make personalized calls and send personalized emails, showing genuine interest in the prospects’ businesses. He also emphasized the importance of curiosity in sales, comparing it to the mindset of entrepreneurs. Andrew believes that salespeople need to be curious and constantly seek new knowledge and insights to succeed.

Rebuilding the Sales Team

Andrew discussed the process of rebuilding his sales team. He let go of most of the existing salespeople, except for one dedicated individual who had been with the company for ten years. This person was highly knowledgeable about the product and always went the extra mile to support the team. Andrew decided to give him a chance to prove himself as an asset, even though he wasn’t the best salesperson.

To rebuild the team, Andrew worked with someone to create a sales playbook that outlined their processes and steps for lead management, email sequences, and more. They then hired a few new salespeople, but one of them turned out to be unreliable and had taken another job without informing Andrew. This experience highlighted the importance of honesty and integrity in a small company like theirs.

The Challenges of Hiring Great Salespeople

Andrew emphasized the need for candidates who have held a job for more than three years. He finds it confusing how some people with a history of job-hopping still get hired. We also touched on the entrepreneurial nature of salespeople and the importance of curiosity and adaptability in a constantly changing market.

Andrew mentioned that he tries to hire more women in sales, as he believes they tend to be more honest and wants to address the gender imbalance in the industry.

The Importance of Authenticity in Sales

We discussed the importance of authenticity in sales and the shift towards more human-centric selling. I mentioned that women salespeople often bring a natural level of empathy and authenticity to their interactions. Andrew agreed and added that many salespeople, both men and women, are naturally competitive. Sometimes this competitiveness can manifest in a toxic way.

Andrew shared an example of a toxic salesperson who would yell at people on the marketing team and treat others with deference. He emphasized that authenticity is crucial in sales.  As people can see through inauthentic behavior.

The Need for Genuine Connections

Before the pandemic, there was already a growing desire for human relationships in sales.  The pandemic has further highlighted the need for genuine connections. Andrew mentioned a statistic from McKinsey that 80% of software buyers prefer not to speak to someone. Before purchasing software, which surprised him. I suggested that this preference may stem from bad experiences. If a salesperson can surprise and provide value to the buyer, they will stand out from the competition.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

In this expert insight interview, Art Harding discusses “The needs and applications of sales forecasting.” Art Harding is People.ai’s Chief Operating Officer, the highest position in the Operations department, so he has a say in how the Operations department works. The average employee in the Operations department said that a typical 8-hour day is fast-paced and challenging and that they are happy with balancing work and life. People who work in the Operations department of People.ai care about the company’s goals.

This Expert insight Interview Discusses:

• Importance of forecasting sales future 
• How may forecasting alter digital transformation?
• Why is forecasting drifting towards the Dinosaur Road?

Need for sales forecasting

People who are business owners and have partners in their long-term business understand the value of sales forecasting to determine the future of their business. The forecast provides efficacy, style, identity and qualified sales structure to decide the future of business, and the sellers depend upon the forecasting results. Forecasting should move with Technology to reduce mistakes and increase the efficiency of the sales forecasting method and stages. 

Use Technology to amplify your process

Whenever you look for any art or science, a specific process needs to be followed to get the desired outputs. It is not about the results; you must pay attention to the process you need to follow to achieve the targets. Technology is a big buzzword in the market that evaluates and maintains the process lifecycle according to the market. Technology helps in qualifying the data while quarterly adjustments amplify operators. 

People may follow digital transformation, but people do not understand it appropriately. Digital transformation is not about Technology; it is thought of reimagining a business and executing the process using Technology. The data can help us know the methods, reasons, and future needs to use those methods. 

Digital Transformation for future business

Technology can help us in making your work faster with a high yield. It increases the sales capacity and sales productivity. Technology can be a bit faster, simpler and easier to perform the tasks of sales forecasting. This is the biggest rumor that Technology will displace humans. However, this is not the case. Technology makes us capable of increasing our performance. This also increases your responsibilities so that your client has higher expectations and thinks you may provide the service faster. The crux of digital transformation and Technology is that it gives you a new scale with a better community and customer engagement. 

Forecast into modernized sales and marketing

People who forecast your business’s sales use different tools and log in to different platforms to collect the data. Rather than doing it manually, people trust Technology that may stack up your room. 

Digital transformation provides better integration with the different departments working on the same process. Digital transformation provides you with more capabilities, responsibilities, and customer satisfaction. 

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Even though businesses moving to remote sales have been increasing in the past few years, others have been reaping the benefits of remote sales for years.

They have long adopted and understood the power of remote sales, which has helped them establish a strong market compared to their competitors.

Remote selling has allowed businesses to overcome time constraints and geographical locations in a bid to engage with a larger number of customers over a shorter period.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote selling was considered an option. This has so far changed and it is now viewed as an integral part of operations in a business. But what should businesses do to excel in remote selling?

Incorporate Sales AI and Advanced Analytics

Remote selling will not be successful if you rely on your sales representatives for everything. You also need to implement algorithmic and guided selling that relies on sales data and artificial intelligence to automate sales and enhance customer engagement.

With sales AI and advanced analytics, you can easily maximize effectiveness and seller time by making sure that your selling techniques match the requirements of your customers.

Artificial intelligence is also important in predicting customer requirements and sales content that appeal to them.

However, you should not expect to see results immediately after you start using artificial intelligence. The truth is that AI works well in remote sales, but you need your sales representatives to use it for some time before any results are realized.

Use the Right Remote Selling Tools

Remote selling requires the use of the right tools. With advancements in technology, we are continuously seeing new innovative tools made to solve different business challenges. However, businesses need to make sure that the tools they use meet all their requirements.

To start with, the tools you choose need to adapt to the changing customer expectations when it comes to selling remotely. You also need tools that make the entire remote selling process easy for your sales representatives.

Some of the tools you might need for successful remote selling might include audio, video, and presentation tools such as lighting, microphones, and cameras. Others include chatbots and webforms for customer support.

Digital Sales Rooms for Remote Sales

Digital sales rooms play a vital role in promoting human sales engagement even though this happens in a virtual environment. This approach allows sales representatives to engage with their customers while offering them a centralized, personalized, and secure experience.

Customers are introduced into the sales room with a message personalized for each one of them. They are then taken through a comprehensive presentation that is made to address their specific requirements.

Apart from adding a human touch, digital sales rooms are also known for increasing efficiency in the sales cycle. They do this without sales representatives having to organize face-to-face meetings with their customers.

They also help organizations cut operational costs incurred through traditional selling techniques.

Use Local Phone Numbers

Remote selling has become an integral part of business operations. Today, businesses can sell to customers in different parts of the world easily and without any problems. However, businesses need local remote phone numbers for successful remote selling.

For instance, your business might be running operations from London but has a target market in South Africa. You do not need to use a United Kingdom phone number when selling to your South African customers.

You can get a local VoIP phone number from OpenPhone to reach out to the customers and grow your customer base. Luckily, you can have multiple phone numbers to sell to customers in different geographical locations. This is important because most people want to work with businesses they can identify with.

Use Sales Enablement Tools

Sales enablement tools are known for their role in expanding the bandwidth of sales representatives through planning automation, CRM reporting, and the selection of sales and marketing content.

They provide your sales representatives with the content they are supposed to share with customers, making sure that the content is tailored to meet the requirements of all customers.

Using elements in sales enablement tools such as sales analytics, sales CRMs, content analytics, and business intelligence, sales teams can win over new and prospecting customers by delivering content that is easy to understand.

In addition, these tools eliminate obstacles to engagement through automation, creating more time for sales.

In conclusion, you might understand the benefits brought about by virtual selling but do not know how to make the switch in your business. It might also be challenging to find out ways of succeeding with the remote selling techniques you have currently employed.

Fortunately, the remote selling best practices discussed above are going to set your business up for success and ensure that your customers get the best and most memorable experiences.

They will also provide your sales representatives with the tools and knowledge that they need to succeed at their work.

To kick off 2022, Brian Sullivan interviews Jay McBain about the key trends impacting channels in the new year and beyond. Jay is one of the most visible and respected thought leaders in global channels, having been named 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine. He was also included in the “Top 40 Under 40” by The Business Review and was recognized on many other channel magazines’ top influencer lists. He is often sought out for industry guidance and future trends and has spent his 27-year career in various executive channel sales, marketing, and strategy roles with IBM, Lenovo, Autotask, and ChannelEyes. Jay is the principal analyst for global channels, partnerships, and ecosystems at Forrester – one of the most influential global research and advisory firms in the world. In addition to being a SalesPOP! Top Contributor, Brian Sullivan is an enterprise selling expert, best-selling author, and Chief Sales Strategist at System Soft Technologies.

Here’s the interview:

Thanks so much for joining me today, Jay. You and I have been chatting about the future of tech spending and its impact on channels and worldwide commerce in general. Your perspective, as always, is really insightful so would you mind sharing your thoughts on the topic?

Certainly, Brian. Great question to get us started and there’s much to discuss. Worldwide telco and tech spending will double in the next decade. And that growth, from $3.5 trillion to $7 trillion, will take place among “a ton of change.”

Currently, 64% of the $3.5 trillion telco and tech spend comes through the indirect channel. But that will change. In fact, as we look toward the end of the decade, we’re starting to see some shift in the way money changes hands. 1/3 will flow from indirect, 1/3 from marketplaces and 1/3 from direct. But behind the scenes, the role of the indirect channel will become more important than ever. The channel for 40 years has been synonymous with the flow of money, but what isn’t talked about enough is that about 90% of that number is partner-assisted. For instance, Microsoft sales have always been more than 90% through the channel. But now they talk about 96% being ”partner-assisted”. They never talk about partner-sourced anymore. Similarly, Azure has grown by 50% per quarter for the last six quarters but only about 30% of that growth is through the channel. But it’s 96% “partner-assisted”.

As you say, Jay, “a ton of change”. And regarding the changing buying journey, I know you closely track the key trends that impact the channel. Do you have a perspective to share regarding the really impactful trends?

I do, Brian. To illustrate the channel’s evolving and escalating role in the changing buying journey, I created a Top 10 List of “uber-level” trends affecting the channel. While some are within the channel and some are not, when you combine these ten together, they’re going to be the most impactful things in the next decade. And the companies that take advantage of these converging and accelerating trends will be the ones growing at triple digits.

That’s terrific, Jay. Would you walk us through the highlights of your “Top Ten”?

Happy to, Brian. First, tech buying Is changing and so are psychology, behavior and the journey itself. There’s a demographic shift happening for the first time in a long time and the majority of buyers are going to be millennials within four years. Additionally, technology buying is becoming more consumer-like, with buyers doing online research, reading reviews and watching video cookies.

Then, we’re seeing the end of the cookie. Google and Apple recently announced they were eliminating the online cookies used to target and trace consumer behaviors. The companies that own 99% of mobility and 86% of desktop browsing share no longer tracking the buying journey will be huge for the industry. Indirect sellers will become vital for their influence.

Next, 76% of CEOs think their current business models will be unrecognizable. Public and private companies alike are feeling pressure to think about subscription and consumption models and recurring revenue, which those in the telco and MSP markets already know and already do. These companies cited the need to build teams to address all the facets of the ecosystem and they expect to move forward as part of a team.

Fascinating, Jay. And do you see this movement in changing models affecting a broader spectrum of firms?

Absolutely, which leads to the next trend regarding the worldwide shift to subscription and consumption models. Cisco, Dell, Lenovo, and IBM are following HPE in moving to a subscription-only model. Instead of one-time purchase fee, there’s now a monthly fee. Within this subscription economy, a subscription company is rated with the same type of metrics as an entity like Netflix, with the focus being on the number of subscribers, churn rate, etc.

Also, the embedded/white-labeled future is replacing the SKU. Despite leading the field in the number of patents received for 28 straight years, IBM saw revenue drop for 10 straight years. Interestingly, they never monetized that innovation. In an inventive world, we’re not product sales companies anymore as growth will come from driving adoption, deeper integrations, stickiness, and driving cross-sell/upsell/enrichment of other parts of portfolios and other innovations.

And marketplaces will accelerate the resell decline as by the end of the decade, there will be twenty leading marketplaces that account for 80% of the marketplace opportunities. The remaining 20% will go into niche marketplaces.

On the topic of marketplaces, you have a point of view on marketplace taxation that represents a key trend as well, correct?

Yes. Marketplace taxation is taking center stage as the topic is being very closely examined. Microsoft lowered its taxation from 20% to 3% with Google following suit 30 days later and AWS sitting at 5% “with ways to get to 3%.” Hyperscalers are now at a new level of taxation as the marketplace levels are just now getting to where they should be with the next year promising further shakedown.

The next key trend involves the tech workforce as fully 72% of U.S. tech workers are considering quitting In 2022. Now, that’s not actually going to happen, but it’s probably going to be bigger than ‘The Great Resignation’ as they’re calling it. In tech, people are definitely thinking about a different future of work.

And in channels, Jay, what about the distributors, many of whom are facing uncertain futures?

Indeed, they are as much distributor disruption will continue. There are new players among the distributors and there’s a lot of consolidation going on. There are two critical things they need to do. They need to become a platform for distribution, and they must come out of hiding.

And finally, the ecosystem orchestrator has become the new trusted advisor. With all the moving parts in the ecosystem, a real level of orchestration is needed. The company and the people that can truly take on the role of orchestrating everything are going to be upsized winners in this decade. There’s no single throat to choke anymore and no single trusted advisor. But there’s a level of orchestration that has massive opportunities for triple-digit growth every year moving forward.”

Thanks so much, Jay, for your thoughtful perspectives and we’ll all be following your work at https://www.forrester.com/blogs/author/jay_mcbain/

All the best!