Culturally, “sales” is a dirty word in New Zealand. Kiwi sales professionals often refuse to admit they are in the industry, as if they are ashamed. Companies unintentionally add to this stigma by disguising sales roles under pseudonyms such as “business development professional”, “customer solution specialist” or “account executive”.
To be fair, the negativity towards selling can seem understandable at times, because as customers, most if not all of us can remember a pushy or otherwise uncomfortable sales experience. Unfortunately, this aversion to selling leads us to miss out on getting great people involved and ultimately holds New Zealand companies back from being as competitive on the world stage as they could be.
Recently, I chatted with Denver-based Kyle Coleman on our Rev-Up Podcast. Kyle is an experienced sales leader who has grown numerous technology companies as well as being an advocate for sales as a profession globally. Currently, he is the group vice-president for revenue growth and enablement at Clari, a privately owned software company with a valuation of $2.6 billion. We explored why “sales” is still thought of as a dirty word, the opportunities in sales, some common misconceptions about sales and salespeople, and steps you can take as a business leader to get the most out of your teams.
Here are three common misconceptions that could be affecting your business, and what you can do about them:
A good product will sell itself
The adage "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door" is alive and well in New Zealand. Many non-sales personnel tend to look upon the sales function as, at best case, a subtle insult to the product (which, if it were really good, would be selling itself) or, worst case, an unnecessary cost. This attitude is particularly pervasive among startups, with many treating sales as an unpleasant afterthought, instead focusing 99% of their efforts on tinkering with their product. The reality, however, is that no one will even be able to buy your product if nobody knows about it. In a competitive global market, simply having a good product is not enough – the sales role is crucial in matching customer problems to solutions and helping customers navigate the buying journey.
Focus on understanding the business problems your product solves for potential customers and coach your teams to understand these. Then think about your “buyer’s journey” – at what point might they start thinking about the problem your product might solve? Do they even know they have a problem? Once you understand this, you can build out your sales process or “sales steps” – the manner in which you will engage with customers, from opening through to close.
Salespeople are all loud, smooth-talking extroverts
There has always been a common belief that to be good at selling something, you need to be a loud, confident extrovert. In fact, the best salespeople are naturally curious, exceptional at asking questions, and listen attentively. According to the Gong sales-pitch-analysis platform, which has analysed tens of thousands of sales calls, the “highest-yielding” B2B sales conversations hovered around a 43:57 talk-to-listen ratio. In other words, top-producing B2B sales professionals speak 43% of the time (on average), allowing the prospect to speak 57% of the time (on average).
Listen to your salespeople on sales calls (on the phone or in person). How much time do they spend asking questions and listening, versus “talking at” your prospects or customers? Coach your salespeople on how to ask questions and what open-ended questions to ask to unlock conversations, and on the importance of active listening.
A confronting question might be: Do I actually have the right people in my sales team? In his book To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, bestselling author Daniel Pink references a study by Adam Grant, one of the world’s leading social psychologists, that shows “ambiverts” to be more effective sellers than others. (Ambiverts are neither overly extroverted nor introverted – they are well attuned, knowing how to listen and talk in equal measure.)
How well do you understand the characters in your team? More importantly, how aware are they of their own style and how this affects their sales performance? It’s worth considering.
Salespeople care only about the money
The stereotype that people get into sales only for the money and would say absolutely anything for a commission cheque has persisted as there is an element of truth to it. Of course, money is one of the motivators for many salespeople, and the ability to control and accelerate income is definitely one of the attractions of a sales career. However, good sales professionals are honest, customer-centric people who enjoy solving problems for their clients. Dishonest or unscrupulous salespeople do not last in the role, particularly in a small country like New Zealand.
How well do you understand what motivates your sales team? When did you last think about that or even have that conversation with them? Even having a conversation on this topic can be motivational (and eye opening). Money is the easy and lazy “go-to” when many business leaders think about motivating salespeople. It is deeper than this; take the time to understand your people better and ask more insightful questions.
A good one to start with is, “When do you feel most motivated/happiest at work?” Next, probe further (like a good salesperson!): “What makes you say that?” You’ll uncover gems you can use to improve motivation and your relationship with your salespeople.
In the business world, sales are like oxygen; without them, businesses suffocate and die. “Sales” is not another word for a collection of underhanded tactics to persuade buyers to hand over cash for something they do not need. Sales success is about understanding a buyer’s challenges and then matching their problems to a solution. Ultimately, sales are the lifeblood of business. In fact, when you think about it, every single one of us is in sales in some form or fashion, in both our professional and personal lives. Whether we are negotiating with our partner or kids or trying to get a pay rise at work, selling teaches us how to act, how to be a good person and how to communicate effectively.
Alex McNaughten is the founder of Sales Leaders and Apprento.
