Wednesday, December 12, 2012

LEADERSHIP and SALESMANSHIP



Are Outstanding Leaders also Good Sales People?

When I think about the Leaders I’ve Coached and Mentored over the years, I’ve noticed five distinctions that clearly separate Good Leaders from Outstanding Leaders. 
 
And I noticed that Sales People share these five distinctions, as well. 

Persuasion - The ability to persuade or convince others about the benefits of moving forward with an idea, or action is a key sales skill.  A salesman tries to convince you of the value of what he’s promoting. A leader believes personally in the value of what he’s promoting and if he is effective, he will persuade you that it is in your best interest to value it,  too.

Rapport - Effective Salesmanship requires a mirroring of the team, group or decision maker in order to strengthen rapport which is the first step in building a strong relationship. Rapport is the glue that helps Company Teams and Employees feel good about their commitment to their Leaders in the same way a buyer feels good about his purchase from a Good Salesman.

Enthusiasm - In a nutshell, enthusiasm sells, convinces, persuades and often builds rapport.  A great example is Ray Kroc, whose sense of enthusiasm for McDonald’s was legendary. He became so excited about what he sold that he persuaded others to follow.  This example shows how you can build a huge enterprise on enthusiasm both as a Leader and a Sales Person!

Persistence - Many Leaders have defied the odds and built a powerful enterprise because of the power of persistence.  Persistence is another key success factor that top Sales Professionals have used to close business and thus deliver outstanding results in the same way that Persistent Leaders enroll employees in moving far beyond their comfort zone in order to achieve amazing results.

Leverage - Good Sales Professionals know their product isn’t for everyone so they use leverage to target and reach the people who can benefit the most from their products or services.  Leaders also use leverage by identifying the people who can do the most for their organization, including supervisors, teammates, and subordinates.

What Do You Think?

Are Outstanding Leaders Good Sales People?

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