Vanilla is great in ice cream, but not so much in sales outreach strategies. Our guest on this week’s episode is here to help add some flavor to your sales processes. She's a highly recommended sales leader who got her start in sales selling girl scout cookies door to door. She redefines the way companies operate, and revamps sales teams to work smarter, not harder. Joining host Tim Harris this week is Head of Sales Enablement at Loadsmart, Stephanie Benavidez. Stephanie shares why sellers need to be unique, ways you can revamp your demos, and some of the key characteristics of high EQ individuals.
Takeaways:
- Being different and unique in sales reach is not only okay, but encouraged! We’re all constantly inundated with emails and dm’s and those methods get lost in the noise. If you want your buyer’s attention, you need to think outside the box.
- Sales is never just about selling a product, it's about selling a solution. Sellers need to be curious and learn about the client’s end goal, challenges, and pain points. Once you’ve identified the problem, then you can sell the solution.
- An hour long, feature filled demo no longer attracts buyers. To revamp demos, start by cutting them down to 40 minutes. Spend the first 30 in an open conversation around the solution, and leave the last 10 to follow up on what the buyer was curious about.
- Characteristics of high EQ employees are found both in and out of the office. At work, encourage self motivation, grit, and passion. Outside of work, high EQ employees have routines, engage in personal development, and make time to take care of themselves.
- While markets are tough, it provides sellers an opportunity to grow and focus on being creative. A challenging environment will result in sellers who have sharpened their skills, and are better equipped to adapt to change.
- Features and functions are important to any product, but without a cohesive story, they fail to stand on their own. Align features to client’s pain points, and demonstrate what the solution does for the client, rather than just what it is.
- Coaching on the sales floor builds strong foundations, but training needs to go further. To build sellers skills, run sessions that get them thinking outside the box. Training improvisational skills allows sellers to react to whatever a buyer throws at them.
Quote of the Show:
- “Being different is ok, being unique is ok.” - Stephanie Benavidez
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