The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

Congratulations! You’ve just made an amazing new hire with talent, experience, and skills who aligns well with you, your team, and your organizational culture.

With all that in place, it’s safe to assume that all will be smooth sailing toward a future of success, right? Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out as we assume.

Nearly a third of new employees leave within 90 days of getting hired.

However according to a Gallup report, employees with a positive onboarding experience are almost three times as likely to feel prepared and supported in their role.

The word “superstar” has a wide range of meanings for all of us. It might bring to mind a famous athlete or celebrity or someone we consider at the top of their game and well-known for their track record of success. 

But if there is one common thing every organization needs for success, it’s to have at least one sales superstar on their team. These are the sales stars who not only meet targets but also exceed them.  Their clients love working with them, and they retain and grow their clients year after year, all while finding new prospects and closing new business.

Imagine for a moment that you are the sales leader for a national media company. Picture your sales team and imagine the following scenario….

Your team is made up of 100 percent sales superstars who knock it out of the park and raise the bar day after day, week after week, month after month. Their potential for success is unlimited.

If that scenario sounds like a dream to you instead of a reality, you are in the majority.

Our just-released fifth annual Media Sales Report found that 76% of sales managers don’t consider most of their teams to be superstars.

2024 is here, and we can already point to one major trend – the big return to the office. 

In a new survey by Korn Ferry, 99% of more than 500 US C-suite and business leaders said that they expect employees in the office at least one day a week, a big change from last year when that number was just 66%.

Asking questions is one of our most important, yet overlooked, skills for effective communication, whether at work or in life. The best leaders are often not the ones who have the answers - they are the ones who ask the right questions and actively listen to what others have to say.

There is an art to asking questions that bring others to the table, encourage their opinions and perspectives, and help them see their value to your team and company.

Famous leaders throughout history have often used questions to inspire, lead, and drive change. As Oprah Winfrey herself said, "When you ask the right questions, you get the right answers."

One of the most important, and often most fun, parts of the sales process is discovery meetings. These are often referred to as “needs analysis meetings,” and their main goal is to uncover the desired business results of the prospect or client.

The success of these meetings lies in both the setup and the execution.

It’s important to:

• Prepare yourself and the prospect or client by sharing an agenda and expectations for the meeting.
  
  
• Create psychological safety to help prospects and clients let their guard down and open up for a more honest discussion, whether in person or with a shared screen remotely.
  
  
• Master the art of asking questions to uncover key information.
  
  
• Use a Needs Analysis process to uncover desired business results, prioritize the most important needs first, and confirm next steps.

One of the most common sentiments that leaders share is, “How can our company keep great people?”

And, as if this wasn’t already enough of a challenge, recent data is showing a new trend of high turnover in our current economy.

Here’s what we know about turnover.

Four months are remaining in 2023.

Yes, you read that correctly. And with only a few months left in the year, boosting sales motivation is crucial for achieving your annual targets and ending the year on a high note.

These past few years have been incredibly challenging for leaders worldwide.  As you take a look around your organization, have you noticed any of the following for your leadership team or your employees: 

• Exhaustion: Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that doesn't go away after time off.
• Decreased job satisfaction: A feeling of disillusionment and negative attitude towards work.
• Decreased motivation: Loss of drive, energy, and motivation to perform tasks.
• Increased absenteeism: Taking more time off work, frequently calling in sick.
• Decreased productivity: Decline in quality and quantity of work being produced.
• Decreased engagement: Lack of enthusiasm and investment in one's job and responsibilities.
• Increased cynicism: Negative outlook and mistrust towards one's employer, coworkers, and/or job duties.
• Health problems: Physical symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, and digestive issues.

If so, you are not alone.  These are all symptoms of burnout.

If you’ve ever been in sales, you know first-hand that one of the most powerful ways to go from good to great is having a strong sales manager. The best sales managers are active listeners and innovative thinkers. They know how to inspire and motivate their teams.

So, is there a secret that only these superstar managers know?

Of course not. But what we know for certain is that they are the ones who give just as much attention to managing their own talents as they do to managing their teams.

And how do they do that?

They begin with themselves and their own self-awareness. It sounds simple, but you truly can’t know and lead others if you don’t know yourself.