I spent a full day with the top sales leaders of an large organization last week. These were the best of the best of this company. And they were amazing people. Skilled, articulate, quick on their feet, charismatic, ambitious, driven, etc. etc…
My role was to teach them a new skill that might make them better…
I will admit, it was intimidating. Is there a way I can really help these people? And the bigger question…do they think they need help?
You can make the case that the top sales leaders are the top sales leaders BECAUSE they are always seeking to learn new things, seeking new ways to get better, seeking new skills to give them an added edge…
One of the things I am going to contribute to this project is guiding this team to incorporate more of the social web into their daily sales process. Upon a quick glance at their respective LinkedIn profiles, for instance, most do not appear to be engaged with this tool, and have less than 50 connections…
Do they know something I don’t know? Have they cracked the code and don’t need it? Or are they missing out on a HUGE opportunity to give themselves added advantage?
I don’t know the answer…yet. But you can bet that I am going to find out. Because I am going to challenge their assumptions. They will do one of three things:
1. Tell me to sod off.
2. Fully embrace the idea and blindly follow my counsel.
3. Or test, explore, and examine the idea…see if it applies and can make them better.
I am betting sales leaders of this caliber will do #3. And that’s why they succeed. And that’s how I can best serve them.
“They say improve and maintain. I say destroy and re-imagine. Tom Peters
In a related, but different context, I had lunch with a lady this past week working with a startup. Her team is poised to change the world. If the idea she shared works, it will change everything. How was their idea hatched in the first place? They challenged recognized assumptions.
That’s what I will do with this sales team. And we will see if it impacts. And that’s what I am asking you to do. Every day. Challenge assumptions. Question everything. Experiment. It is those kinds of people who are at the top of their field. And change the world…
[cartoon by @gapingvoid]
