What is in Your Sales Backpack?

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Earlier this Fall, I attended the Mainebiz Forum and CEO Breakfast.  The breakfast brought together six CEO’s from Maine businesses.  This year’s topic was “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes.”  It was a fantastic seminar in panel format where the CEOs provided their simple, yet informative tips on running and growing their businesses.

As I reflect on my 2018, and look forward to 2019, it is important to look at your business and decide what works, what needs to change, and how to grow revenue.  In other words, how does your “backpack” drive your brand and drive revenue?

I wanted to share a cross section of these principles provided by the panel.  They are valuable and can help any commercial leader develop a winning company structure and grow revenue.  Here are the principles and a few quick anecdotes with each.

 

The Top 10

  • Authenticity is the most powerful tool – stay true to who you are – your unique story needs to be told.
  • Build a home at work – we spend 1/3 of our waking hours at work so foster workplace friendships and make a positive impact on people’s lives.
  • Build relationships don’t focus on the “deal” – focus on the relationship.
  • Use your gut – but don’t forget about the data.
  • Pick up a broom – be a servant leader and enjoy the rewards of physical work.
  • Be in service to others – recognize that we are all helping or doing work for someone.
  • Perseverance – don’t give up – success could be just around the corner.
  • “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know” (Einstein) – you’re never too old to learn and you’re never too young to teach.
  • Ask for help – seek the wisdom of others, but beware of artificial intelligence!
  • Make a hollandaise sauce – realize that some of the most satisfying things in life are created with only a few basic ingredients!

 

What Can We Learn?

The fundamentals of winning within your organization are the values you have and the tools you use to extend and communicate those values to your clients.  They are the basics of what you stand for, and what that means when a client partners with you.  They represent the intangibles that differentiate your brand from your competitors.

 

The Bottom Line

Look at your backpack.  Make sure your backpack holds the tools to be successful and win more deals!

Putting your sales backpack together is critically important.  At Sales Xceleration, we specialize in developing your Playbook to address these needs.