Sales Leadership

What Blocks Active Listening (Part 2)?

In our last bog we reviewed a recent discussion I had with a small group of highly successful sales leaders. I outlined what some of the potential barriers to active listening are as I reflected on common patterns I see sales leaders / sales people struggle with.   We expanded point number one last week and today we’ll take a closer look at point number two.

1. Exploring new possibilities through powerful questions and staying present to the conversation through active listening (not planning or thinking of your next question)
2.  Not realizing how stories keep us locked into language and emotions that block us from seeing what other possibilities exist
3. Feeling like you have to go into a sales call with: an agenda YOU drive and make a sale

As human beings, we have largely been unaware that language and emotion is shaping the world we live and also our own stories and success.  Let me provide you with some definitions of emotions and language, and examples of how they potentially impact our performance.

Emotions come and go, can be turned on and off quickly (or sometime lasting longer) and are always bound to particular events and we can normally point to the circumstances that generate them. With emotions, we can identify the events that triggered them. If those events disappear, the emotions that went with them will normally disappear. Emotions are specific and reactive. Events precede them.

In my previous blog we examined four industries that are changing quickly, and all face their own set of specific challenges.

Healthcare:  Pricing pressures, shift in decision makers (physician to economic buyer), physicians employees (less independence in decisions), healthcare reform and reduced payments

Banks: More scrutiny on loans, longer process, fewer products with flexibility, fewer clients meet guidelines (credit scores, down payments, income, etc.)

Real Estate:  Declining prices and commissions, high inventory, competing with foreclosures, bank approved loans, fewer buyers

Finance: Volatility of the stock market, fewer investors, more conservative investor, fewer dollars going into investments

So how does language fit into this?  We say that according to the emotions we are in, our stories are different ― that we speak and listen differently. Every story brings with it its own mood or emotion. A story is always a combination of two basic factors ― language and emotions.  We claim that these two factors are not independent of each other. To be coupled in a story, language and emotions must match. There is a basic principle of coherence between them. Language and emotional states are in close relation to each other.

Some examples of this may include changes you have experienced in your own sales territory, sales team or organization.  What stories are you stating or thinking that might be limiting a broader perspective or active listening on your part.

• Have you been locked out of an account that once yielded high revenue due to new contracts and pricing, and your company will not participate? Does your story include any emotions towards anger for being locked out?
•  Is it impossible to get your loans approved by underwriting and make commissions?  Does your story include emotions around helplessness with no chance of achieving your goals?
• Are there fewer qualified buyers today willing to purchase a new or used home?  Do you feel these limits hold you back?
• Are people no longer willing to invest (or have the means to) due to a volatile stock market?  Is fear hindering you and others from moving forward?

So what can we do about these stories that quite possibly are holding us back?

Some guidelines for help

• Become an observer of your stories. Identify the emotions and not "how things are." If we assume, as stories and emotions normally make us believe, that the way we assess the world is the way the world is, we close possibilities for producing a different story and emotions.
• The acknowledgement that we are not the producer of our emotions, but that the emotion is producing us, allows us to intervene more easily. However, even though we are not responsible for the stories we find ourselves in, we are responsible for staying in them.
• Beware of the stories we have built around our emotions. We tend to make our emotions right, and we can give infinite reasons why it makes a lot of sense to be in the mood that we are in. Remember that often it is not what the story says that produced the emotions; it is the emotions that produced the story (and potential outcomes).

From personal experience, I can share with you my own shift in recognizing the stories and emotions that accompany them, that held me back.  It wasn’t until I began to work with a certified coach and immerse myself into executive coaching and Enneagram training that I truly saw how new possibilities do exist. This has also freed me from feeling like I need to control or drive my own sales calls.  Instead it allows me to freely probe and ask questions without trying to control the outcomes, and allows me to actively listen and be present to what my potential clients are saying.  In my twenty plus years of sales this has had the most impact on both my client and me.

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>

Sales Leadership

What Blocks Active Listening (part 1)?

Recently I was in a discussion with a small group of highly successful sales leaders.  As I listened to their stories for the first thirty minutes I witnessed common patterns I see sales leaders / sales people struggle with.

1. Exploring new possibilities through powerful questions and staying present to the conversation through active listening (not planning or thinking of your next question)
2. Not realizing how stories keep us locked into language and emotions that block us from seeing what other possibilities exist
3. Feeling like you have to go into a sales call with: an agenda YOU drive and make a sale

So let’s examine what some of the potential barriers to active listening are as we review the first item noted above.

Exploring new possibilities through powerful questions and staying present to the conversation through active listening (not planning or thinking of your next question)

How many of you are experiencing change in your current industry?  Just a few places we can look are in healthcare, finance, banking and real estate.  For a variety of reasons, the landscape in these industries is changing quickly.  Is it possible that your products or services no longer command the same loyalty they once did?  How about brand recognition?  Does it drive customers to you the way it once did and open the same doors?

My guess is your Value Proposition is also changing as clients are looking beyond your products and services as they face new challenges that are going unmet.  So how can powerful questions and active listening help you?

My experience with this is simple.  The more you can find out about your client without trying to control or plan the conversation, the better chance you have of HEARING what they are saying and discovering what their needs are.  So often we forget a very crucial step in the sales process, identified as the Needs Analysis.  In this area we try to accomplish the following:

• Understand the customer’s needs through interviews, questions and active listening
• Discover what a client would like to improve and what is most important to them
• Evaluate the information and review possible solutions that feed your Value Proposition and proposal

While our goal is to always be selling, it’s also important to note that clients actually enjoy talking about themselves; their problems and what it would mean to them if you helped solved their problems.  Through powerful questions, active listening and staying present with them during the entire course of the conversation, you have a chance to find and bring value to them that you may not have discovered. 

How would this approach help support you, especially if your industry or market is changing?  When have you discovered new information during a sales call simply by listening and probing?  How good are you at identifying people’s problems and providing value they’re willing to pay for by solving their problems?

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>

Leadership

Who are you?

I think it has been said in many articles by many authors in many ways—the first rule of leadership is to lead by example. The leader is the model, the one who sets the pace. Having spent many years leading Marines, I can only agree with the comment made so well by Kouzes and Posner, “…you either lead by example or you don’t lead at all.”

As I wrote in a previous blog, anyone can lead. You have to have the willingness to learn and the desire to do so. I also noted there are traits and principles common among successful leaders. Leading by example is definitely the most important. Before you get there you must know yourself and seek self-improvement. 

Do you know how you react when you are in a tense situation? How do you react when the project you are responsible for just hit an unexpected “snag?” How well do you work with folks who don’t have the same work ethic as you or no work ethic at all? What are your biases? Do you have the technical skill to be able to lead the team? 

Leadership is contagious. A person in a leadership position that lacks knowledge of self leads the way by bluffing. Bluffing is very much like having a sickness that erodes away at the body. 

Before you can be an example to your team or organization, rule one—know yourself! Make an honest evaluation of yourself. What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses? Solicit honest opinions from peers, superiors, subordinates. Study other leaders for both their successes and failures. Trust me; there is a lot one can learn from failure! Utilize self-assessment tools such as the Enneagram to gain an understanding of how you react in any given situation and to other people. Know who you are before you attempt to lead. If you cannot “Model the way” you will have little success in leading the way.

In our next conversation, let’s talk about knowing your workmates, peers, superiors and subordinates.

John Boggs, has provided executive leadership and strategy for large, complex organizations and operations throughout his career. He has commanded Marine units at every level of his career and served in numerous key staff positions including the positions of Senior Marine Readiness Analyst for the Secretary of Defense, Dean of Faculty and Academic Programs at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and the Chief of Staff of the National Defense University, the largest Defense University System in the world.  See More...>

Sales Leadership: How a Coach Can Help

Recently I received a short video clip with the former CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, talking about the value of working with an Executive Coach. I’d like to share this with you and add some of my thoughts and experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVfeezxmYcA&NR=1

How Does This Relate to Sales

Sales Representatives: Most sales representatives I work with are measured on their ability to grow sales, and performance objectives are often tied to their roles as individual contributors and sales quotas. During my twenty years in the sales healthcare market, it was the norm to find double-digit growth and see sales representatives expand their territories by hiring associates and junior representatives. Today many of these senior sales representatives are challenged with a changing healthcare environment that includes:

1.  A shift in buyers; from physician to hospital-based decisions
2.  Reduced selling prices; capitated ASPs with little or no shift in new business, reduced sales revenue, and potentially more unit volumes with the same or less support
3.  Managing larger teams with little or no management experience, combined with less use of tools such as assessments, an on-boarding process, management training, written and agreed upon performance objections, etc
4.  Less input on negotiated pricing; corporate account representatives responsible for local pricing as the impact may have regional or national implications
5.  Lower commissions and gross earnings
6. Managing the expectations of junior representatives eager to make larger commissions and gain their own territory, usually at the expense of the sales representative 

Sales Managers: Many of the sales managers in the healthcare market are experiencing challenges from both their direct sales team and senior leadership within their organization. Examples include:

1. Motivating and managing their sales team during challenging times (see above)
2. Interacting with and presenting to clients with Value Propositions that may not meet current or future needs
3.  Supporting current sales representatives who may be underperforming or not preparing for future changes
4. Reducing or expanding territories
5. Retaining talent that may be tempted by “new” opportunities
6. Managing expectations from senior leaders, especially when the numbers are down 

Sales Leaders: More and more sales leaders within healthcare find themselves being pressed in the following areas of leadership:

Creating and Conceptualizing: Produces new ideas, approaches, or insights. Creates innovative solutions to problems. Sets and develops strategies; identifies and develops positive and compelling visions of the organization’s future potential.

                                                                                                                                             Adapting and Coping: Adapts to changing circumstances; tolerates ambiguity; accepts new ideas and change initiatives. Maintains a positive outlook at work and is productive in a pressurized environment. Keeps emotions under control during difficult situations.

                                                                                                                                              Leading and Deciding: Takes responsibility for actions works under own direction; initiates and generates activity and introduces changes into work processes; makes clear decisions which may include tough choices or considered risks. Provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others. Provides staff with development opportunities and coaching; sets appropriate standards of behavior.

All of this change is creating a lot of stress, reactivity, heavier workloads, communication gaps due to time constraints, and calling for new strategies in uncertain times without a clear vision of the future. These changes require a new set of behaviors and skills in order to sell and succeed in a changing market. 

How working with an Executive Coach can help

As Eric Schmidt relayed in his video, famous performers and athletes utilize a Coach to help them increase and sustain their performance. Executive Coaches help clients gain perspective into their own behaviors and help them to see themselves as others see them.

I’ve outlined several key benefits clients have experienced when working with an Executive Coach (including sales leaders, managers and reps).

The safety to say “I Don’t Know” and explore what is missing and new possibilities	Identifying and changing negative patterns	Mitigating immediate reactions that cause stress and suffering	Working on a development plan that is specific to them (first time for many)
Remaining calm, centered and grounded, even under stressful circumstances	Influencing others and advocating for the greatest good	Learning how their strengths’ shadow sides impact effective performance	Improved work performance
A roadmap and insight into team members with better communication and support	A second set of eyes and ears of a trusted advisor / coach	Techniques to reduce or minimize stress and its negative impact on overall quality of life	Increased work - life balance

Executive coaching isn’t just for senior leaders or executives. Many seasoned sales reps make an exceptionally good living because they have the ability to deliver results year after year, and many move on into management or leadership positions. The benefits of hiring a coach can be found in both good and challenging times, and often open up our eyes to new ways of being and doing.

With so many challenges and changes within healthcare and other industries in the present and future, how might your own performance, and that of your team and organization, improve dramatically by exploring new possibilities with the support and help of an executive coach?

John Brambert is the President of Trinity Performance Group, a team of seasoned Executive Coaches trained in the leading worldwide coaching programs. Trinity Performance Group’s goal is to provide a wide range of executive coaching, leadership and team development, and related services to our clients.  See More in John>