Selling.2.YES

June 2021

My Challenge to a Stranger Named Jaleh Rezaei

Over my multi-decade tenure as a sales leader, I used a 34-point plan that drove my management philosophy. I’m exaggerating a bit, of course, but I admit to being somewhat guilty of complicating my approach to get the best out of my sellers.

I now use ONE foolproof principle that drives my advisory practice: create as much confidence in sellers as possible. Like stretching for a pro athlete, sellers cannot possess ENOUGH confidence! (Same for anyone in your org who touches clients…SDRs, AMs, etc.) Even though I spend most of my time teaching application and discipline against requisite skills like value proposition leverage, qualifying, objection handling, and communication skills, I come back to one specific theme that drives my work:

Sales is super-ridiculously-unbelievably-crazy-mystifyingly…HARD.

As a result, CONFIDENCE is what I push with vigor. Confidence is what I dish out the most. Confidence is the super-power that drives individual peak performance and, ultimately, results. (For those paying close attention here, you immediately understand that mastery of the aforementioned skills is what CREATES the engine for strong confidence.)

And of course, the key principle of creating confidence is praise. “Catch someone doing something good or right…” goes the management mantra. And it couldn’t be truer.

The problem is, in our age of Saas this, and username/password that, the art of giving praise and building confidence is often muted, and largely ineffective. (Heck, effective communication in general, is muted by technology!)

To wit, I was having a perfectly ordinary day reading a perfectly ordinary blog post titled “The 25 Micro-Habits of High-Impact Managers” when this grabbed me:

Jaleh Rezaei, CEO of Mutiny, is another fan of leaning on Slack for quick hits of positivity. “When I see something that I really liked, I usually will send a message to the person with a short heartfelt message like, ‘It was incredible for me to watch you shine in the meeting. Well done,’” she says.

My immediate reaction to Ms. Rezaei’s comment was when are we going to acknowledge that managing through technology is nowhere near as effective as when we make it PERSONAL? (Great…I got a slack call-out….so, too, did Janine for calling the janitor when the bathroom sink overflowed!)

So as we begin to head back into offices and in-person meetings with prospects and clients, here are three praise examples that transcend technology and potentially have a much deeper positive effect with your sellers. You as a Manager must consider using some of these if you want to excel as Captain Confidence-Blowing:

1. Compliment your seller in front of the customer: “Well, Mr. Prospect, you have the right person on your business here with Sammy…she handles some of the company’s most important clients who have similar challenges and needs like you….I’ve seen Sammy operate over many years and know Sammy is going to represent your needs professionally and efficiently. Just the other day she…..!”

The problem is, in our age of Saas this, and username/password that, the art of giving praise and building confidence is often muted...and largely ineffective."

2. Praise your seller in company meetings that specifically underscore a core principle important to your team and culture: “I saw Sammy handle an objection in front of the client the other day and it was textbook awesome…she expressed empathy, persistently probed for more insights, did not rush to solve the client’s problem, yet stayed patient and engaged the customer in a dialogue that was productive and let the client stay in control. It was masterful technique and Sammy got the client to shrink the objection on his own! Well done, Sammy.”

3. Let the seller take the mike – put her in front of an audience to recount the good behavior: “I’ve asked Sammy to join this meeting for a few minutes so she can re-tell how she cracked a big customer objection the other day…it was an expert sales move and I’m proud of Sammy, but would rather she tell her story of how she applied strong objection handling technique to Acme Inc.”
Don’t forget the number one rule regarding praise: it must be earned, specific and genuine!

But the biggest reminder to drive your behavior and yield the most from your praise is to put yourself into their shoes. Empathy is powerful, eh? What drives you more…a mention on Slack, or praise in front of others?

Much of this may seem so “yeah duh” to many of you, but with the encroachment of technology in our lives and our geo-separation, it’s harder to execute in-person praise…so that’s why you can’t miss these opportunities to turbo-charge your sellers with the Big C: Confidence!

Finally, do me a favor…next time one of your sellers bags a big client…pick up the phone first!

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Selling.2.YES is the monthly newsletter published by Core 6 Management Advisors to enlighten, motivate and stimulate all of us sellers and sales managers on topics that need our attention.

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Selling.2.YES

June 2021

My Challenge to a Stranger Named Jaleh Rezaei

Selling.2.YES newsletter

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