Alejandro Folmer’s Post

Sales leaders and their teams are facing an era of unprecedented pressure as the role expands beyond the amount of support that their organizations are providing. My Egon Zehnder colleagues Silvia Wiesner, Patrick Nader and Adeline de Waziers explored this reality in a new article. We delve into the evolution of the Sales function, the implications for the team and the broader organization, and discuss how the CEO and board can step up to support senior Sales leaders. Check out the full article:

Sales leaders and their teams are facing an era of unprecedented pressure as the role expands beyond the level of support that their organizations are providing. My Egon Zehnder colleagues Silvia Wiesner, Patrick Nader, and Adeline de Waziers explored this reality in a new article that delves into the evolution of the Sales function, the implications for the team and the broader organization, and discusses how the CEO and board can step up to support senior Sales leaders. Check out the full article and please share your thoughts!

Regardless of who is on your sales team, one role is consistently present in them all to guide, enable and develop the team to consistent performance.    The sales manager.    Important in their capacity to help other people do and work together. Like the conductor of an orchestra not playing a specific instrument but keeping the beat and enabling the team and its individual members to perform.    But just as important a role the sales manager is for sales team success, just as challenging a role it is for most people who are fortunate enough to get into it, for two reasons: 1. Sales managers are most typically high performing salespeople promoted into the role because of their ability to demonstrate performance 2. What is required for them to succeed as sales managers is completely different from what initially made them successful as salespeople.   The skills and ways of working that got people into sales management positions aren’t what will make them a success there. As illustrated by Professors Benson, Li & Shue’s study of +53,035 salespeople from 2005 – 11, not only are the best salespeople promoted into sales manager roles likely to be worse managers, the best of them are likely to have a negative value add as sales managers.    What gets salespeople into sales manager roles isn’t what makes them successful there.    Download full guide on The Sales Manager's New Operating Model through link in comment field #sales #leadership #commercialexcellence #salesexcellence Kvadrant Consulting Thomas Børve Sixten Schultz

What if I told you that 2 critical steps can skyrocket your sales team's engagement and trust? I wish I had learned these much earlier in my sales leadership career. According to a recent ADP Global Study of Engagement, two crucial elements play a significant role in fostering a highly engaged sales team: 🚀 clarity of expectations and 🚀 leveraging individual strengths. It sounds obvious but most leaders I've observed fail at this and say: "Do I have to dictate every little thing that they do?" No, but when sales team members clearly understand what is expected of them, they can align their efforts and perform at their best. No mutual mystification. Or the reps must use the scripts word for word or they're written up or fired. Wong. Recognizing and providing opportunities for sales team members to utilize their strengths is vital. This is the value of providing a playbook and scripts as "guides" but allowing your salespeople to adapt the sales process so it's natural for them. By focusing on these factors, sales leaders can cultivate trust, strengthen relationships, and create a fully engaged sales team. 💯🤝 If you found this post useful - you might like one of my free sales leadership guides Get them here: https://buff.ly/3M7zx2r

🌟 Sales Leaders: Coach to Align Short-Term Actions with Long-Term Goals As sales leaders, it's crucial to align our management of short-term activities with the long-term goals of our team and organization. Far too often, short-term management techniques can contradict long-term objectives, causing our associates to operate transactionally. This transactional mindset can negatively impact relationships with clients and hinder sustained growth. To ensure our sales teams thrive: 1. Communicate Clear Long-Term Goals: Make sure every team member understands the bigger picture and how their daily tasks contribute to it. 2. Incentivize Relationship-Building: Encourage activities that foster strong client relationships, not just immediate sales. 3. Provide Consistent Coaching: Regularly check in with your associates, offering guidance on balancing immediate tasks with long-term objectives. 4. Celebrate Milestones and Progress: Recognize and reward efforts that align with long-term goals, reinforcing the right behaviors. By being thoughtful in our management approach, we can help our sales associates build meaningful client relationships and drive sustainable success. Let’s lead with purpose and vision.

What if I told you that 2 critical steps can skyrocket your sales team's engagement and trust? I wish I had learned these much earlier in my sales leadership career. According to a recent ADP Global Study of Engagement, two crucial elements play a significant role in fostering a highly engaged sales team: 🚀 clarity of expectations and 🚀 leveraging individual strengths. It sounds obvious but most leaders I've observed fail at this and say: "Do I have to dictate every little thing that they do?" No, but when sales team members clearly understand what is expected of them, they can align their efforts and perform at their best. No mutual mystification. Or the reps must use the scripts word for word or they're written up or fired. Wong. Recognizing and providing opportunities for sales team members to utilize their strengths is vital. This is the value of providing a playbook and scripts as "guides" but allowing your salespeople to adapt the sales process so it's natural for them. By focusing on these factors, sales leaders can cultivate trust, strengthen relationships, and create a fully engaged sales team. 💯🤝 If you found this post useful - you might like one of my free sales leadership guides Get them here: https://lnkd.in/gPWYhnKb

#Winning the Game: Unlocking Sales Leadership Excellence 🚀 Are you ready to take your sales leadership to new heights? 🚀 🎯 Calling all aspiring sales leaders and seasoned executives! If you want to thrive in the world of sales, then you need to embrace the art of sales leadership. It's not just about hitting targets and meeting quotas; it's about driving success for your team and your organization as a whole. So fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a mind-blowing journey into the realm of sales leadership excellence. 💪 🔑 As a sales leader, you have the power to inspire, motivate, and empower your team to achieve greatness. But how can you unlock your full potential and become a sales leader extraordinaire? Here are some key strategies and insights to help you on your path to success: 1️⃣ Lead by example: Your team looks up to you, so show them what it means to be a sales champion. Lead from the front, demonstrate resilience, and foster a winning mentality. Your actions will speak louder than your words. 2️⃣ Build a winning team: Surround yourself with top-performing individuals who share your passion and drive. Invest in their growth, provide them with the resources they need, and create a culture of collaboration and continuous learning within your team. 3️⃣ Set clear goals and expectations: Establish clear objectives and communicate them effectively to your team. By setting high standards and holding everyone accountable, you'll create a results-oriented environment that breeds success. 4️⃣ Foster a positive and inclusive culture: Celebrate your team's achievements, recognize their efforts, and create a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. Collaboration, trust, and respect are the pillars of a high-performing team. 5️⃣ Embrace technology and data: Leverage the power of sales tools and analytics to gain deep insights into your team's performance. Equip yourself with the knowledge and resources to make data-driven decisions that will drive revenue growth. 💡 Remember, sales leadership is not a solo act. It's about cultivating a winning team and harnessing the collective potential to achieve remarkable results. So, let's step up our game and unleash our sales leadership prowess! Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. How do you define sales leadership excellence? #SalesLeadership #SalesExcellence #TeamSuccess #LeadershipJourney #InspireAndEmpower

Struggling with Success? Transform Your Sales Leadership with Proven Strategies You've been successful at work, but you are not as successful as you could be. You're successful, but you're not feeling as successful as you should be. So many sales professionals ask what being a top performer looks like in this market. What we’re about to share, all of these strategies are interrelated. You need to hear everything involved. Everything to get from where you are now to where you want to be. This is for sales leaders experiencing and feeling they're in the trade-off between sales quotas and stress, and you're ready to stop wasting time figuring it out as you go it alone. And you know inside that there's no better time than now. Yes, this is for sales leaders who want revenue, cash, impact and legacy.  Click the link below to get access to the free training that's going to help you get results. Do it now. Go to: https://lnkd.in/eiNqaBcx #salestraining #salessuccess #sales

Sean's Sales Tip 💼 Invest in Sales Leader Training, development, and coaching. The payoff will astound you. 💰 📈 The quality of Sales leadership directly impacts the top and bottom lines. 🚀 A top sales team drives revenue, expands market share, and cultivates customer loyalty. 👥 However, these outcomes require sales leaders who can motivate their teams, set clear objectives, offer training and guidance, and instill a culture of accountability and excellence. 💡 Companies investing in sales leadership development tend to: 🔍 Hire Better: Recruiting candidates with a track record of success, have burning ambitions to succeed, are coachable and have strong communication and people skills. 🎯 Set Clearer Expectations: Defining goals clearly and ensuring alignment across the team to foster a shared sense of purpose. 📚 Provide Support and Training: Offering continuous coaching, feedback, and professional development to enable the team to succeed. 🏆 Cultivate Accountability: Fostering a culture where high standards are upheld, and achievements are recognized and rewarded. 🔧 Leverage Technology: Embracing tools like CRM systems and sales analytics software to enhance productivity and gain insights into customer behaviour. ❓ So why are so many companies failing to provide their sales leaders with any formal sales leadership training and coaching? 🤔 It just does not make sense. 💡 The payback is enormous. 📈 📚 Reach out for a discussion on how to equip your sales leadership to succeed.

Sales peeps it's 2024 goal setting season for your leaders. For many, the process feels one-sided- management or senior leadership dictate the new goals. BUT... Have you as a rep ever done your own analysis of your market, product, saturation, and your own effectiveness to submit what you think to management and senior leadership? You should likely be doing this anyway for your own good, whether you share it or not. It'll help you understand if you're in the right place and identify where you could be better. It would also allow sales leaders to know what the front lines are seeing and advocate accordingly. Unfortunately, there are some sales leaders that believe that reps are only ever going to strive for 80% of the goal because that is where disciplinary action kicks in. Had a head of sales tell me that during annual goal planning... we disagreed greatly on this. Sales leaders that made it this far into the post - set goals that are REASONABLY ambitious. A team that wins together is happier and more energetic than a scared group that knows the goals are out of reach. AND share with your peeps how you came to believe the numbers you're sharing are attainable.