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Alarming Marketing Trend
One key discipline of successful direct marketing has been to test marketing communications tactics to continually improve results. There is now an alarming trend according to a recent survey that we conducted among business-to-business marketers...

Astute Pricing By Sales Representatives Can Expand Profit
One surefire way to grow profit is to deploy sales resources that masterfully price your company’s products and services. The right price can boost profit more than improvements in the cost-of goods sold or reductions in SG&A. For example, a 1%...

Organization Tips - How to Set Up Your Database
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Part 4 of 5 - How "Pipe Dreams" Can Become Realities!
TIPS ON ATTAINING WEALTH Many people want money as a primary goal. And there certainly is nothing wrong with desiring money. But first, be sure that your true goal is money. Can you live, breathe, eat, and sleep money? Do you dream about...

Short Messaging Service (SMS) for Enterprise Messaging
Short Messaging Service (SMS) for Enterprise Messaging SMS for Enterprise Messaging – Value added services Short message service, usually called SMS, is a globally accepted wireless service for enterprise messaging (mobile value added...

 
11 Secrets to Leadership in Sales

In his classic book, “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill discussed the eleven secrets of leadership. In reading this work, it appears that the attributes of strong leadership and effective selling have a tremendous amount in common. After all, to be really successful in sales, you need to be a leader, both within your own organization, as well as to your clients and customers.

To paraphrase management guru Peter Drucker, a leader is someone who not only does things right, but who also does the right things, while helping others do the same. The same holds true in sales: how better to serve your clients than to really know and understand what they do, and to truly help them do it better?

With that in mind, here are Mr. Hill’s eleven secrets to leadership, as they apply to leadership in selling:

1. “Unwavering Courage”: Selling successfully requires courage; taking a risk where the odds may seem stacked against you; courage to make that extra call, to deal with the tough client or prospect, and to not let anything deter you. As Hill says, courage is “based upon knowledge of self and one’s occupation.

2. “Self-Control”: The ability to set a course for yourself and take disciplined action each day is a key attribute of all successful salespeople.

3. “A keen sense of justice”: Knowing right from wrong - understanding what is fair and just - allows you to make, wise informed decisions.

4. “Definiteness of decision”: Deciding on what you want to achieve, and then doing whatever it takes to get there, even in the face of obstacles and setbacks, is crucial to your success. For those who don’t quite make it, failure can usually be traced back to a lack of decisiveness about what they really want.

5. “Definiteness of plans”: In Hill’s words, “the successful leader must plan his work, and work his plan. Truer words were never spoken when it comes to selling. Plan your time, and then take action on your plan each and every day.

6. “The habit of doing more than paid for”: Want to sell more? Go the extra mile for your clients. Want to get the respect, admiration, and cooperation from your internal “clients” – the people you need to rely on to implement or help you close


sales? Go the distance for them as well.

7. “A pleasing personality”: Is selling a popularity contest? No, but would you buy something from someone who was nasty and rude?

8. “Sympathy and understanding:” Selling is about understanding what people DO, and then helping them do it better. Plain and simple.

9. “Mastery of detail”: Ah, yes… The devil, as they say, is in the details. Ever work really hard to close a sale, only to have it fall apart because of some small detail that falls through the cracks? What may seem like a small detail to you can be a crucial one, maybe even a deal-breaker, to your prospect, customer, or client.

10. “Willingness to assume full responsibility”: No matter how much customer support your company provides, you are the prime representative of your organization. If you try to pass the buck to someone else, you lose respect and credibility. “But it really wasn’t my fault that the shipment was delayed in customs and then the delivery truck was attacked a pack of wild dogs…” Doesn’t matter; accept the responsibility for any problem and all details, and then do whatever needs to be done to make things right. Your clients need to know that you are their advocate.

11. “Cooperation”: You can’t do it alone. Sales is a collaborative effort. Your prospects need to collaborate with you; you need the cooperation and assistance of others both inside and outside your organization to make things happen. The best salespeople are those who can work well with others, and with whom other people want to work.

Think about these eleven areas of leadership, and ask yourself how you do on each of these items. Find areas where you can make improvements and chart your course to work on improving what you do each day; incremental improvements each day become exponential over time.

Copyright 2005 Thomas Baskind

About The Author

Mark Dembo and Thomas Baskind are Managing Partners in DEI/Lexien of Greater New York, a sales performance improvement and management consulting company. They invite you to visit their website, http://www.lexien.com/, and welcome your comments and inquiries.

 

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Content Menu
  • 10 critical questions to ask before hiring a consultant

  • 10 lessons for every shoestring entrepreneur

  • 10 profit boosting tips to increase the success of your affiliate program

  • 10 reasons why companies should start doing business online

  • 10 ways for entrepreneurs to find more time

  • 11 secrets to leadership in sales

  • 11 ways to elevate your sales

  • 3 steps to turning ok sales into unbelieveable results

  • 5 tips for savvy use of your home equity line of credit

  • 6 steps to laying out your competitive strategy

  • 7 explosive strategies to maximize your google adwords campaigns

  • 7 tips for product enhancement to increase your sales

  • 8 procedures to take control of sales and marketing

  • alarming marketing trend

  • are you still broke with 10 000 people in your downline

  • army ranger reveals how to control corporate stress

  • assumptions the hidden sales killer

  • astute pricing by sales representatives can expand profit

  • a new look for business in the future

  • a power technique for boosting sales

  • a profitable growth formula for sales managers

  • a real crm strategy or just tracking customers

  • bankers in denial

  • black belt sales meeting moves

  • book summary the e myth revisited

  • boost profits dramatically with consignment sales

  • boost your business sales with credit card payment solutions

  • building an email marketing list

  • businesses should specialise not generalise

  • business after the iraqi war

  • can a sales leaseback arrangement make investing in orlando investment more safe and reliable

  • cash flow management

  • cash flow profits and the cash conversion cycle

  • celebrating successes the power of compliments

  • characteristics of high performance teams

  • coaching for success

  • commodity sales prospecting ‹¨« how to stand out from your competitors

  • communicating value

  • conducting business through b2b e marketplaces

  • confessions of a reluctant saleswoman

  • create a positive upbeat can do workforce and dazzle the customer with your caring

  • creating your internet marketing plan

  • crm for beginners customer relationship management basics

  • crm sfa that accelerates sales the sales process integration approach

  • customer service and call center outsourcing whats the buzz

  • dialogue the four dialogic principles for successful communication

  • does your business need a toll free 800 number

  • doing business online private b2b exchanges

  • domain name and web hosting hell

  • dont shoot the sales team

  • do you feel overwhelmed running a web business try this

  • do you have a picture of your customer

  • do you need a personal assistant

  • easily slash your comms costs using web conferencing

  • education and outsourcing 2 ways to improve your business

  • einstein definition of insanity

  • entrepreneurship what does it really mean

  • financial services marketing insights a marketing compass

  • finding rest for the direct sales company mom

  • first the key to successful sales

  • five dirt cheap ways to increase sales in your cleaning business

  • five strategies to strengthen your companys financial management

  • five tips for analyzing an income statement

  • five top tips for a prosperous 2004

  • forecasting and surviving a layoff or downsizing

  • gaining business intelligence

  • get coached

  • good bye bobby knight and all the sales managers like you

  • grants loans free credit cards and credit repair the whole truth and nothing but the truth

  • hiring and retaining good employees

  • hiring the best sales athletes

  • how to beat the 80 20 rule in sales performance part 1

  • how to beat the 80 20 rule in sales performance part 2

  • how to build a repeat client base in automobile sales

  • how to create multiple revenue streams for your home business

  • how to create your own successful and profitable affiliate program

  • how to cut duty cost and increase profit as an importer

  • how to decrease profits without really trying

  • how to define your companys sales job part 1

  • how to define your companys sales job part 2

  • how to easily increase your profits

  • how to enhance quality in your business

  • how to find an investment advisor

  • how to get money back for your process and procedures investments

  • how to get rich with network marketing

  • how to identify a problem solver

  • how to improve your management procedures usability

  • how to increase sales with automation improvements

  • how to join the 5 of internet business real money making pros regardless of the products you sell

  • how to maximize account penetration and jump start sales

  • how to maximize sales by minimizing windshield time

  • how to meet quality standards with iso 9001

  • how to promote your home business with ebooks

  • how to start a business plan

  • how you can learn to be a better manager

  • hunters and gatherers are you serving both their needs

  • hurdles to cross cultural business communication

  • if it was easy everybody would do it

  • if one does not do any planning one is planning to fail

  • increase sales in your home business with these 10 simple ideas

  • increase your income through international trade

  • increase your influence increase your sales

  • increase your pipeline deploying the cost effective sales team

  • increase your sales by 30 using internet collaboration networks

  • increasing sales with customer interaction points

  • index

  • industry pro interview expanding your market reach for more sales

  • internet marketing vs forex currency trading

  • introducing a mystery shopping program employees

  • investors avoid these 5 common tax mistakes

  • iso 9001 compliant program steps to build

  • is it time to hit the reset button on your sales department

  • is your business profitable

  • is your company growing fast enough for you

  • keeping your sales team motivated

  • leadership lessons for sales managers

  • leveraging open source technology

  • like it or notyoure in sales

  • lone wolf lead wolf

  • looking for a direct sales party plan company do you know what questions to ask

  • making sales online is easy isnt it

  • making sales online is easy isn t it

  • managing your business cash flow

  • maximize your home based business website sales

  • menu driven business planning

  • money management

  • multiply your sales

  • networking 101

  • network marketing book lovers guide 10 hot reads in 2005

  • no degree no problem

  • online success

  • only the weak ones quit

  • organization tips how to set up your database

  • outsourcing not just for big business

  • overcoming barriers to sales

  • overcoming sales objections for small business networks

  • overcoming small business networks sales objections

  • part 1 of 5 how pipe dreams can become realities

  • part 1 of 5 on the home business set up guide

  • part 2 of 5 how pipe dreams can become realities

  • part 2 of 5 on the home business set up guide

  • part 3 of 5 how pipe dreams can become realities

  • part 4 of 5 how pipe dreams can become realities

  • part 5 of 5 how pipe dreams can become realities

  • paypal dedication can leave your business exposed

  • phone interviews prepare to ace them

  • phone tips to get things done professional phone skills

  • planning to make a decision

  • ppc management when to give up on a loser

  • profitable growth is everyones business a book summary

  • properties for sale in cyprus please visit www propertyincyprus com

  • pr where it matters most

  • public relations defining your organization from the inside out

  • results of poor cross cultural awareness

  • riding the sales rollercoaster

  • rotator

  • rý eoc recruitment and retention employer of choice

  • sales 201 learning tools of your trade

  • sales activity report for management

  • sales and marketing terminology

  • sales and the importance of following up

  • sales commission what return should you expect on your sales compensation investment

  • sales leads how to generate quality sales leads through public speaking

  • sales lessons from the election

  • sales partners agents distributors licensing and franchises

  • sales performance and motivation how to get your edge back

  • sales planning

  • sales process how to avoid wasting time on prospects who cant or wont pay

  • sales process the secret to closing more sales

  • sales process what can you automate

  • sales success the 5 steps

  • sales territory management how to prioritize your activities to produce maximum results

  • securing second and third round venture capital financing

  • selecting sales tracking software for your small business

  • selling is easy when youre first fast and foremost

  • selling sales to customer service agents

  • seven cs to avoid procedure writing errors

  • short messaging service sms for enterprise messaging

  • should i stop wasting my salespeople on prospecting

  • six components of a good e commerce site

  • smart choices how to hire the best

  • spam whats the real problem

  • stop being a salesperson

  • stop waste fraud and abuse

  • strategic planning for salespeople

  • strategies for creating a niche business

  • survival tips for small businesses

  • swot analysis

  • telesales success begin with the end in mind

  • the 11 secrets to sales leadership

  • the biggest mistake in sales prospecting

  • the challenges of human resource management

  • the death of the loyal customer

  • the diamond cutter

  • the game plan the difference between small business success and failure

  • the inside scoop on mutual fund rip offs

  • the ins and outs of article submissions

  • the keys to buying motivation unlock the door to sales success

  • the key to high volume web sales

  • the millionaires favorite author

  • the new ways to do the business mba or cio

  • the perfect mutual fund

  • the road to opportunity in wholesale distribution

  • the sales trail

  • the secret to beating tiger woods at golf and its correlation to success in business

  • the six most common barriers to sales success

  • the steps from product idea to product success

  • the three most common mistakes sales managers make

  • the top 10 priorities that guard your five star reputation

  • the traits of great sales leaders

  • the world has changed what is a sales professional to do

  • this old business

  • thoughtleading the art of separating yourself from the pack

  • trade show tactics revealed

  • transform yourself from a salesperson into a businessperson

  • understanding ezine publishing

  • use magnetic gift cards to skyrocket restaurant sales and profits

  • using the internet automation as tools for salespeople

  • venture leasing a smarter way to build enterprise value

  • web conferencing a boon to businesss

  • whats a professional sales manager

  • what 80 of businesses dont know tips for improving your working capital management

  • what is an investor ready business plan

  • which of these 7 mistakes are you making in mlm

  • who says i cant offer this property for rent

  • why mobile sms text messaging

  • why performance based recruiting produces top sales performers

  • why small businesses fail or fail to thrive

  • why suppliers should use b2b exchanges

  • will your home business succeed or fail

  • work at home business ideas

  • work from home 5 required steps to generate sales

  • work priorities where can you spend your time most effectively

  • yesterdays hero