Any sales firm needs strong leadership to succeed in the industry. This is so important that an organization should ensure that the sales leaders put in place are experienced and trustworthy. And for new workers joining new sales teams, they should consider this very essential point. According to Richard Lechartier, an avid and successful entrepreneur, leadership is one area in the sales department that determines the growth of the department. Richard is a well-known leader in the sales and business sector. In 1993, Richard Lechartier left France to move to the UK and continue his professional life. He achieved success in his career.
The leaders’ dilemma
In any organization, the leaders there, be it the vice president, director, or sales manager, are after the success of their teams. They want their teams to fulfill their set quotas for the month and year, be part of the winning club, and so on. However, some of these leaders don’t know how to make this happen. Sometimes, young sales experts are asked to attend popular courses to learn new things in their field. They take lessons like entrepreneurial and marketing courses. But when it comes to practicing what they learned in the real world, they are unable to do so.
For example, some salespeople are unable to perform in practical sessions like marketing, pitching, and using CRM tools. These practical experiences require case studies and other live demonstrations of what the sales professionals have learned in the classroom. So, in a sense, they’ve become enabled workers, but are unable to demonstrate their knowledge.
Can an enabled worker become a leader and winner in the future?
Every sales learner is always happy to hear the words “congratulations, you’ve passed the course”. But does passing and making use of the knowledge gained the same thing? No, they are not. Passing your course means you are enabled with the knowledge to succeed. They teach you to sell and how to persuade customers to buy.
Yet, not every enabled learner can lead. Several high-end tech firms fail to achieve this feat. They couldn’t transition their enabled workers into leaders due to their lack of practical experience. In all fairness, though, learning a course doesn’t guarantee that you would be a leader one day. No learning tools or platforms are inbuilt to automatically make learners become strong leaders.
Who should make enabled workers leaders?
The managers and team of the sales unit have to equip themselves with the skills to become leaders. They are accountable for this, and the leaders should offer support and time when needed. Their support and time will help build a wholesome program in leadership development. The following are ways to win and become a strong leader in a sales organization.
Know what it means to win together
Organizations misunderstand the term “winning together” to mean that the team gets rewards for their achievement or celebrates together. To win together means that teams that cross-function together in an organization come together to achieve success in their work. Each member plays his/her role to help the sales team gain more customers. Additionally, a leader is obliged to mentor his team, so they can win. He should also let them develop a winning spirit of never giving up till they succeed.
Examples
For instance, a firm fulfilled its annual goals with the help of its workers that successfully closed many deals. The closed deals brought many profits and benefits to the firm, which helped them meet their target. Of course, the firm will celebrate this feat together with the workers who made it happen. And in some cases, reward them for their hard work. Similarly, the firm will ask other employees in the firm to join in the celebration and also get rewards.
What type of rewards do organizations give for winning?
Besides, the reward goes beyond monetary compensation alone, it can be given in cash or in kind. The reward may be bonuses, cash gifts, parties, day off, gift items, and many more.
Does winning only happen in the sales team?
“Winning is not only achieved by the sales department,” says Richard Lechartier. Other departments like the product department, legal, finance, marketing teams, and others have a hand in making an organization successful. They sometimes help in finalizing close deals which will earn the firm huge profits. Hence, the leaders must ensure these teams get credit for their contributions. A good leader would not focus on the sales team’s achievement. Rather, he would carry other departments along and reward them accordingly.
No win is too small
Some large firms mistakenly assume they only need to celebrate big wins and ignore the small ones. This is especially common in a rapidly-growing tech firm. They tend to overlook employees that work hard and accomplish things that may seem ‘small’ to the firm. But this should not be so. Every team member should be seen, rewarded, respected, and encouraged no matter how long they’ve been in the firm.
Conclusion
In summary, Richard Lechartier advises that winning should have a winning together spirit and celebrate their workers. The leaders should help their enabled workers practice the classroom knowledge they have and use it in real-life situations. Moreover, the best thing a leader can do is to spend time understanding his subordinates and knowing their capabilities. This will help the team work seamlessly together and adjust to each other smoothly.
