Are You Missing This Sales Team Advantage?

My game participation with men and women raises the question, are you missing this team advantage? The two genders tend to approach games and life quite differently. Learning from one another can improve business development processes and increase sales. It is puzzling as to why the treatment of women is still below par in the sales environment. They are equally responsible for bringing in business, so why aren’t they treated as equals?  Ask yourself, are you missing this team advantage? Sales training teaches us to keep an eye on our competition. We are to focus on the similarities and differences between our offerings and the delivery style. The extra step is to describe our excellence in customer care. Only then are we able to differentiate ourselves as a standout brand. Long ago, I was so fed up with the business equipment industry, and how it treated me, that I moved to a competing service. However, the print services company proved to be worse. But I soon realized how to compete against the print services for improving business equipment sales. In general, when men gather to play table games, they are solely focused on strategy and winning. Whereas the women I know are more focused on the conversation. The art of communication influences prospective clients to purchase, but men overlook this fact. My approach combines the two approaches. The only person with whom I compete is myself. And I always strive to enjoy the conversations with my clientele.

Conversation That Influences the Sale

The sale is the last step of the entire business development process. The salesmen who focus strictly on the sale and strategy for winning it, miss opportunities all the time. If your goal is to develop a returning and referring clientele, conversation comes first and continues long after. Women focus on the ‘getting to know you’ in first meetings with potential clients. Exchanging stories and experiences come first.  Gaining  a little familiarity with personal goals is at the heart of the first conversation. Only at the end, will successful saleswomen ask of interest in furthering the business portion of the conversation. A confirmation of ‘Yes!’ provides the green light for moving the sale forward. A sales team equally comprised of male and female representatives brings about many advantages. The men are adept conveying the details of why one should buy.  Meanwhile, the females have a knack for conversationally influencing the decision. Team meetings should highlight each person’s route to success. The improved style for meetings can improve results across the board. The new effort will eliminate the need to ask, ‘Are you missing this team advantage?’ For inspiring examples of determined individuals can do, click through the Entrepreneur Platform Magazine   Be inspired!

Missing The Team Advantage Begins With Recruitment

The burden of not missing the team advantage begins with recruitment.  The first step is to teach recruiters how to find able candidates for the job. Eliminate grilling females for answers. Instead, ask open-ended questions to see how each will conversationally fit in on the team. Ask the male candidates about their willingness to learn from people different from themselves. No two clients are the same, and respect should be a requirement. Ask the male candidates for examples of their motivation to learn from varying viewpoints. By hiring a mix of males and females for the sales team, you will not have to worry about, ‘are you missing this one team advantage?’

Your Story: Are You Missing This Team Advantage?

Think about the varying roles you may one day play:

1. Salespeople – are you learning the good and bad from clients and team members?
2. Executives – are you reviewing and improving efforts of recruiters, management, and salespeople?
3. Entrepreneurs – are you learning from peers and those who have gone before you?

Motivation is the needed piece to move out of your comfort zone while striving to improve. Should someone ask you, ‘are you missing this team advantage?’ you will know it’s time to implement change. Consider:

• Is there an equal number of males and females on your time?
• Are there people of varying cultures on your time?
• Is your team seemingly operated by robots unaccustomed to differing thinking?

A new sales conversation should first begin with the prospect’s viewpoint. Similarly, at each meeting, ask team members how they view continued improvement. Management that dictates all the steps never works well. Employees will usually remain for the short term. You can avoid some of the high cost of turnover, by answering, are you missing this team advantage?

Sales Tips: Are You Missing This Team Advantage?

1. Learn from everyone including their errors and wins
2. Diversify your sales team
3. Gain broader perspectives by asking for individual input at team meetings
4. Use team meetings as an example for client meetings
5. Pause upon hearing unusual ideas to determine if they are worth pursuing
6. Ask for clarification on any suggestion not entirely understood
7. Gain agreement with team members on steps for improving their effort
8. Use team meetings as the model for negotiation conversations with clientele
9. After each team-meeting consider, ‘Are you missing this team advantage?’
10. Celebrate Success!

Today’s Blog is provided to help you achieve the Smooth Sale! Related: Use These Three Steps to Better Your Performance