Bill Bartlett

Greater and greater digitization of the sales process was always going to happen; the global pandemic simply hastened its arrival.

Many salespeople focus on behavior that is comfortable … and shun behavior that creates discomfort, even though it may drive higher performance.

Here’s a big question for sales leaders: How do you transfer the level of success that one team in your organization is delivering…so that everyone else on the sales side can find a way to deliver at the same level?

Sales leaders often tell us that they want salespeople to take a more proactive role. Fortunately, there is a simple fix for turning this dynamic around.

Sales leaders: If you could only track one performance metric to evaluate the performance of a member of your sales team, which one would you choose?

There are two critical criteria you will want to look for in identifying top-tier salespeople: Self-awareness and drive.

One of the things I talk about often with sales leaders who are eager to maximize their team’s performance is the principle of reinforcement. All too often, we think of training for salespeople as a one-and-done initiative, as something we can check off a list once the "training" event is over and consider finished. Actually, the training we have invested in is next to worthless if it is not reinforced over time, incorporated as a personal priority, and made an ongoing topic for discussion within a personalized sales coaching plan. Reinforcement is thus one of the neglected secrets of effective sales leadership.

To answer the common question, “Why should I invest more time in coaching my sales team?” we must first define what we mean by “coaching.”

Do you “sell to live” or “live to sell”?

I am fascinated by the way clients, prospects and salespeople, in general, define success. It is usually very personal and intimate, and reflects their perspective on their own life.