Recently I wrapped up a consulting assignment for the VP of one the country’s leading enterprise software companies. During that time, I was around the elite level sales people on his team and I got to thinking about the differences between sales forces that consistently perform at a high level and those that are consistently average. One of the key differences is the language used by top producing sales teams.
- Customers – Top sales teams are always talking about customers because customers are the basis of revenues and sales success. For the highest producing teams, customer centric selling is not a buzzword.
- Value – Delivering superior service and value to customers leads to higher sales, so high producing sales forces talk about the ways they provide value added to customers and prospects.
- Work – A career should be rewarding, but achieving big things is not easy and leading sales teams never take their foot off the gas, take anything for granted or pretend for a moment that hard work is not required to be successful.
- Planning – The old saying “plan the work, work the plan” is often heard around top sales teams, as is the other timeless adage “a failure to plan, is a plan to fail.”
- Consistency – As in sports, where you can’t play half a game and expect to be successful, great sales teams talk about sustained levels of the right behavior.
- Honesty – Great sales teams understand that being transparent and honest with customers leads to more sales, but top reps don’t just talk about it, they act with integrity and professionalism.
- Perseverance – The average sales rep is not prepared to pursue deals that take various unexpected turns, however when you spend time on top sales teams, you hear reps talking about keeping on deals, “bird-dogging” prospects and not giving up until a deal is closed or dead.
- Brand – High producing sales teams understand the critical importance of being “leaders in their space” so they so they behave in ways that are consistent with their marquee brand and work hard to protect their reputation.
Bonus – Body Language – There is an air of confidence, intensity and urgency on top sales teams. The reps work hard and expect to succeed which is evident in not only how they speak, but how they carry themselves.
To your success!
photo courtesy of pakorn | freedigitalphotos.net
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Eliot Burdett
Eliot received his B. Comm. from Carleton University and has been honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Award winner.
He co-authored Sales Recruiting 2.0, How to Find Top Performing Sales People, Fast and provides regular insights on sales team management and hiring on the Peak Sales Recruiting Blog.
Latest posts by Eliot Burdett (see all)
- 20 Of Our Favorite Books About Sales Management and Sales Leadership – October 20, 2023
- How To Make Progress On Your Sales Goal Without A Sales Leader – September 15, 2021
- Augment Your Recruiting Strategy During “The Great Resignation” – July 26, 2021
